Israel announced Thursday that its air force struck and killed a Hezbollah commander, as its military continued its barrage of Lebanon despite ongoing international calls for a cease-fire.

The number of people displaced in southern Lebanon as a result of Israeli airstrikes may be approaching half a million, according to Lebanese Foreign Minister Bou Habib, who stressed that "the war in Lebanon will not help the Israelis return to their homes, and negotiations are the only way to do so."

The militant group is a dominant force in the country, and officials have struggled for decades to limit its power.