Skafi was a senior figure in Hezbollah, overseeing the group's communications since 2000 and maintaining close ties with high-ranking officials.
A wave of intense airstrikes, carried out by Israel overnight, targeted Beirut's southern suburbs, reportedly severing the vital border crossing between Lebanon and Syria.
The powerful explosions sent towering plumes of smoke and flames soaring into the air, causing buildings in the Lebanese capital to tremble from miles away, according to AP News.
The Israeli military did not provide details on the specific targets of the strikes, and there were no immediate reports on casualties but thousands of people fleeing Israel’s bombardments have been trapped.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency confirmed more than 10 consecutive airstrikes in the area.
Israel's military reported a significant escalation in the conflict with Hezbollah on Friday, with approximately 100 rockets fired into Israel.
This development follows Thursday's airstrike in Beirut, which resulted in the death of Mohammed Rashid Skafi, the head of Hezbollah's communications division.
Skafi was a senior figure in Hezbollah, overseeing the group's communications since 2000 and maintaining close ties with high-ranking officials.
The Israeli airstrikes also targeted the Masnaa Border Crossing, roughly 50 kilometers east of Beirut, forcing its closure.
This strategic location is a key transit point between Lebanon and Syria, and its closure will likely have significant implications for the region. The conflict has been intensifying, with Israel launching a ground incursion into Lebanon on Tuesday and clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants continuing along the border.
Israel claimed it hit the crossing due to its use by Hezbollah for smuggling military equipment between Lebanon and Syria, including a tunnel allegedly used to transport weapons from Iran and other groups supporting Hezbollah.
Hezbollah, believed to receive much of its weaponry from Iran via Syria, has a significant presence on both sides of the Lebanon-Syria border and has been involved in fighting alongside Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in the region.
Video footage from the Associated Press showed two large craters along the road near the Masnaa crossing. People were seen abandoning their cars, crossing the strike site on foot while carrying their belongings.
The new wave of Israeli airstrikes followed Israel's warning to evacuate southern Lebanese communities, including areas outside the United Nations-designated buffer zone established after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
On Tuesday, Israel launched a ground incursion into Lebanon, with ongoing clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah along the border.
Earlier airstrikes had killed several key Hezbollah figures, including their long-time leader Hassan Nasrallah.