In a recent airstrike by the Israeli military on the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday (July 30), a senior commander of Hezbollah was killed in retaliation for a cross-border rocket attack that claimed the lives of 12 teenagers three days prior.
According to a witness who spoke to Reuters, a massive explosion was heard in the southern suburbs of Beirut around 7:40 p.m. local time on Tuesday, followed by billowing smoke and dust. The area targeted was Hezbollah’s main headquarters.
Hezbollah is a politically and militarily backed organization by Iran, designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of State. According to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) website, the organization’s main goal is to eliminate Israel and drive Western powers out of Lebanon and the wider Middle East region.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated in a social media post that the airstrike had killed Fuad Shukr, a high-ranking military commander of Hezbollah. Gallant wrote, “Tonight, the Israel Defense Forces carried out a precise and professional operation, eliminating Hezbollah’s top military commander.”
Gallant mentioned that Fuad Shukr’s hands were “drenched in the blood of many Israelis.”
“Tonight, we have made it clear that the blood of our people has a price, and for that, our military spares no effort,” Gallant added.
Hezbollah has not responded immediately to the incident. The group denied involvement in Saturday’s rocket attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
A senior security official from another country in the region confirmed to Reuters that Shukr was injured and killed in the attack.
The Israeli military stated that Shukr was a crucial aide to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the mastermind behind the Saturday attack, noting that he “has also killed numerous Israelis and foreigners over the years.”
The Israeli military also revealed that Shukr was responsible for designing most of Hezbollah’s advanced weapons, including precision-guided missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, long-range rockets, and drones.
Medical and security personnel informed Reuters that the Israeli attack on the southern outskirts of Beirut resulted in the death of three civilians, including two children.
Lebanon’s Al Manar TV reported, citing the Lebanese Ministry of Health, that Israel targeted the “Shura Council” of Hezbollah in the Haret Hreik neighborhood, leaving 74 injured and 3 dead.
Hezbollah denied involvement in the Golan Heights attack but admitted to launching rockets at a military target in the area. The series of conflicts prompted diplomatic actions from Western leaders, aiming to prevent a significant escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
Amid escalating tensions, UN Special Coordinator Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert urged all parties on Tuesday to remain calm and called on Israel and Lebanon to try to “end hostilities through all diplomatic means.”
She stated in a release that “there is no military solution.”
The attack on Beirut on Tuesday drew widespread condemnation from Lebanese officials and Hezbollah’s regional allies, including Hamas in Gaza, Houthi forces in Yemen, Syria, and Iran, which supports the three aforementioned organizations.
The Israeli military confirmed that no new civil defense orders were issued, indicating no immediate plans for further attacks.
Channel 12, an Israeli media outlet, quoted an official as saying that Israel does not desire an all-out war.
In the past 24 hours, approximately 25 rockets were launched from southern Lebanon into northern Israel, with reports of a 30-year-old man in Kibbutz Hagoshrim community being killed.
Hours before the attack, U.S. Defense Secretary Austin stated that he did not believe a conflict between Hezbollah and Israel was inevitable, but expressed concern about the potential for escalation.
The last major confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel was in 2006. Since the outbreak of the Gaza War last October, both sides have engaged in border skirmishes, expressing a mutual reluctance for broader confrontations.