Israel killed a commander of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in an airstrike on southern Lebanon on Friday, further testing a ceasefire that halted last year's war between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Israel has launched a strike on Beirut for the second time in days, further testing the shaky ceasefire with Hezbollah struck four months ago.

Israel’s military said in a statement that it had targeted Hassan Bdeir, a member of a Hezbollah unit and Iran’s Quds Force, who was assisting the Palestinian armed group Hamas in planning a “significant and imminent terror attack against Israeli civilians”.