Seven Hamas members were killed in the explosion earlier today in a suburb of Beirut, according to Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. That total includes senior Hamas political leader Saleh al-Arouri.

Among the six others Haniyeh identified were two commanders of Hamas' military wing, Samir Fendi and Azzam al-Aqra.

Lebanese and Iranian leaders, as well as Hamas, have accused Israel of carrying out the strike. But the IDF has not responded to a request for comment from NBC News, and IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari did not say during his news briefing today whether Israel was responsible.

The majority of Israelis would like someone other than Benjamin Netanyahu to be prime minister after the war ends, according to a new poll published by the Israel Democracy Institute.

The poll asked respondents an open question: "After the war, who would you like to be prime minister of Israel?" Just 15% listed Netanyahu.

Roughly a third of those surveyed either didn’t know who they would support, declined to answer, or said “no one.” Of the responses that did list a name, National Unity party leader Benny Gantz was the top pick, named by 23% of the participants.

At least 315 people have been killed sheltering at facilities run by the UNRWA, the United Nations' refugee agency, throughout Gaza since Oct. 7, according to a situational report.

More than 1,100 people have been injured at UNRWA facilities, the report said. The vast majority of Gaza's population, 85%, has been displaced since the war began, and some families have had to flee more than once.

"In the past 3 months, international humanitarian law has been violated way too many times," Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA commissioner-general, said in a post on X. "Civilian facilities including UN buildings are #NotATarget."

TEL AVIV — A meeting of the Israeli Cabinet that was scheduled for tonight has been postponed, an Israeli official confirmed to NBC News. The original plan called for the Cabinet to discuss what a post-Hamas Gaza could look like. 

The delay came after Israel was accused of a drone strike in a Beirut suburb that killed Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri. Israel has not yet commented on the explosion or whether it played a role.

According to the Israeli official, the war Cabinet will still convene tonight.

Mark Regev, adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell that Israel has not taken responsibility for the strike near Beirut today that killed a Hamas leader.

Regev did not deny nor confirm whether Israel authorized the strike, but said it was a "surgical" hit on Hamas, rather than an attack on Lebanon.

"It is not an attack on the Lebanese state," Regev said. "It was not an attack even on Hezbollah terrorist organization. Whoever did this, it is an attack on Hamas, that's very clear."

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati accused Israel of aiming to "bring Lebanon into a new phase of confrontations" in a statement in which he condemned a strike near Beirut that killed a senior Hamas leader.

According to Hamas, the explosion killed Saleh al-Arouri and two other members in a southern suburb of Beirut. Lebanese state news reported that six people died and several others were injured. Both blamed Israel for the strike; the IDF has not yet commented on it.

"This explosion is definitely an implication of Lebanon and a clear response to the efforts that we are making to remove the specter of the ongoing war in Gaza from Lebanon, and we call on the countries concerned to put pressure on Israel to stop its targeting," Mikati said.

Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire at the border. However, Mikati noted the Lebanese government's commitment to the United Nations resolution to cease hostilities between Israel and Lebanon.

"The decision to go to war is in the hands of Israel," he said.

Saleh al-Arouri, a senior Hamas leader, was killed in a drone strike today in a suburb of Beirut. Dr. Basem Naim, a Hamas official, confirmed the assassination to NBC News and said Israel was responsible.

The IDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lebanese state media reported that the Israeli military targeted a Hamas office in the area, killing six and injuring several others. It's unclear whether al-Arouri was included in that death toll.

In a post on X, Danny Danon, a member of Israel's right-wing Likud party, congratulated "the IDF, the Shin Bet, the Mossad and the security forces" for killing al-Arouri, according to an NBC News translation.

A Israel Defense Forces aircraft struck Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon today, the IDF said in a post on Telegram, adding it had identified two launches from the country toward northern Israel.

Sirens were sounded in northern Israel, the IDF said at 11:20 a.m. local time.

Soon after, Hezbollah said in a statement that it had struck an IDF command center in northern Israel with a combat drone and "hit its target accurately." The group also alleged that it injured soldiers in a strike on IDF barracks, but the IDF has not reported casualties from Hezbollah attacks today.

Israeli and American officials have had “constructive discussions” over the past few weeks about Israel's plans for Gaza after it eradicates Hamas’ control over the Palestinian enclave, a U.S. official told NBC News.

The official would not comment on Israel’s internal deliberations but noted that any “day-after” scenario will be phased, with an immediate focus on stability and the delivery of humanitarian assistance. The American position is that both Israelis and Palestinians have the right to be secure with equal measures of freedom and dignity.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that the war is expected to last many months. Israel's goal is still to destroy Hamas and ensure the group no longer has a foothold in Palestinian politics following its Oct. 7 attack.