Israeli strike kills Hezbollah commander in latest escalation linked to Gaza war

US secretary of state Antony Blinken, who is back in the region this week, appears to be trying to head off a wider conflict in the region

Israeli soldiers are seen near the Gaza Strip border (AP)

An Israeli air strike has killed an elite Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon, the latest in an escalating exchange along the border that has raised fears over another Middle East war even as the fighting in Gaza exacts a mounting toll on civilians.

The strike on an SUV killed a commander in a secretive Hezbollah force that operates along the border, according to a Lebanese security official.