JERUSALEM/BEIRUT, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Israel announced on Tuesday that it killed an operative affiliated with Hezbollah and Iran's Quds Force during an airstrike on a building in Beirut's southern suburbs.

In a joint statement, Israel's military, Mossad intelligence agency, and Shin Bet domestic security service said they "struck and eliminated" Hassan Ali Mahmoud Bdeir in an overnight attack, identifying him as a member of Hezbollah's Unit 3900 and Iran's Quds Force.

The statement accused Bdeir of assisting Hamas in the Gaza Strip in planning "a significant and imminent terror attack against Israeli civilians," stressing the strike was conducted to eliminate the "immediate threat."

The strike in the Sfeir area, which came without warning early Tuesday, killed at least three people and injured seven others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike, describing it as a warning of "hostile" attempts against Lebanon, according to a statement released by the Lebanese presidency.

Aoun said Israel's persistent aggression necessitates intensified efforts to rally Lebanon's allies in defense of the country's sovereignty and against any external violations or internal subversions.

The airstrike marks a second one on Beirut's southern suburbs since a ceasefire agreement reached between Hezbollah and Israel in November 2024, which brought an end to more than a year of hostilities triggered by the Gaza war.

Despite the agreement, the Israeli military has occasionally launched strikes in Lebanon, claiming they targeted Hezbollah "threats."

Israel has also maintained a military presence at five "strategic" locations along the Lebanese border, failing to complete a full withdrawal before the Feb. 18 deadline under the truce.