### Israeli Strikes Escalate in Beirut and Gaza, Resulting in High Casualties

A significant Israeli airstrike in central Beirut led to the death of Mohammed Afif, the chief spokesman of the Hezbollah militant group, on Sunday. This rare attack targeted the Arab Socialist Baath party's office, leaving the area in disarray. Alongside this, an Israeli airstrike in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, claimed the lives of at least 30 people, as reported by Hosam Abu Safiya, director of the Kamal Adwan hospital.

Hezbollah officials confirmed that Afif had perished in the strike but declined to offer further details publicly. Witnesses in Beirut recounted the chaotic aftermath, highlighting the absence of an Israeli evacuation warning. "I was asleep and awoke from the sound of the strike, and people screaming, and cars and gunfire," said Suheil Halabi, a local witness. The incident resulted in four deaths and multiple injuries, according to an Associated Press photographer at the scene.

In another strike later that night, a computer shop in central Beirut was hit, resulting in two deaths and 13 injuries, as disclosed by Lebanon's Health Ministry. The violence continued as Israel bombed several buildings in Hezbollah-stronghold southern suburbs of Beirut, following warnings for evacuation.

The conflict has escalated significantly since Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered retaliatory airstrikes in Lebanon. The Lebanese Health Ministry reports more than 3,400 deaths and the displacement of over 1.2 million people. Hezbollah continues to launch projectiles into Israel daily, with at least 76 Israeli fatalities reported so far.

Strikes in Gaza also contributed to the rising toll. An Israeli military statement announced it targeted "terrorist" sites in Beit Lahiya, where damage and casualties were significant. In other parts of Gaza, strikes in Nuseirat, Bureij, and the main north-south highway resulted in multiple deaths.

Around 43,800 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza amid ongoing violence, with women and children forming a significant portion of the casualties. The war has displaced roughly 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million residents.

In another development, Israeli police arrested three suspects after flares were fired at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's private residence in Caesarea, adding an element of domestic unrest to an already volatile situation.