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.

An Israeli air strike on Beirut's southern suburbs has killed a Hezbollah official and three other people, Lebanon's health ministry says, putting further pressure on a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese armed group. The strike also injured seven people, the health ministry said.

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”.