(WWLP) - Hezbollah has confirmed that its powerful leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike this weekend. The Israeli military has killed 7 high-ranking Hezbollah officials in the past week. And they have continued intensive strikes across Lebanon including pre-dawn strikes in Beirut. Israel's recent airstrikes are a significant escalation in the war in the Middle East. Congressman Jim McGovern telling 22News what needs to be done to avoid an all out regional war. "I have been a long time supporter of Israel, but I have been a critic of the Netanyahu government. I voted against sending additional military aid to the Netanyahu government because of what they're doing in Gaza because of the expanded violence in the West Bank now this is being expanded into Lebanon. We need a cease-fire and we need to de-escalate the situation," said McGovern. In the days before the Israeli attack, Secretary of State Antony Blinken had intensively shuttled between delegations in New York during the United Nations General Assembly session,trying to forge a 21-day cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, but to no avail. If an agreement cannot be reached a wider regional war could take place that could possibly draw in the United States.