Hezbollah did not immediately confirm the death of Ibrahim Aqeel. The United States had accused him of being involved in bombings that killed more than 200 U.S. Marines and many others in Beirut in 1983.

Hassan Nasrallah said Israel will be punished for explosive attacks; meanwhile, Israel carries out more strikes

The Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, did not say how his group would respond to attacks on hand-held devices, which killed dozens when pagers and walkie-talkies exploded.

The absence of a full-blown war in Lebanon has been touted as a core U.S. achievement, but now Washington’s grip on the crisis appears more tenuous than ever.

The attack represents another security failure for the militant group that has been reeling from Israel’s repeated blows.

Israel is attempting a risky strategy, increasing the intensity of its attacks in an attempt to force Hezbollah to back down, while raising the chances of an aggressive response that devolves into a land war.

A new Israeli airstrike hit southern Beirut, as Hezbollah was already scrambling to recover from a week of blows.