Lebanon is working to ensure any response to the Israeli killing of a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut does not trigger total war in the Middle East, its Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said, Reuters reports.

Tensions in the region have spiralled in the last week following the killing in Tehran of Palestinian militant group Hamas’ leader, and an Israeli strike on Beirut’s suburbs that killed the senior commander Fuad Shukr.

Hezbollah said last week that the Iran-backed group will respond in a studied manner.