Israel targets Hezbollah commander in Beirut attack after deadly attack on Golan Heights

Beirut
CNN
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Israel said it had launched an attack in the Lebanese city of Beirut on a Hezbollah commander it believed was responsible for a deadly attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

At least one person died in the attack and several others were injured, the Lebanese state news agency NNA reported. The injured, some with serious injuries, were taken to nearby hospitals.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a social media post that “Hezbollah has crossed the red line,” just minutes after the Israeli military claimed responsibility for the attack on Tuesday.

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a separate post on his official X account that “every dog ​​should have his day.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they had “carried out a targeted attack in Beirut against the commander responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and the killing of numerous other Israeli civilians.”

No details were given about how the strike was carried out.

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NNA said the attack was carried out by a drone that fired three missiles.

The IDF statement came shortly after Hezbollah-run Al Manar television reported a loud explosion in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital.

The area is a densely populated part of Beirut and a stronghold of the Iran-backed militant group.

A Reuters video shows the aftermath of the attack in southern Beirut. Rescue workers and passersby can be seen in streets covered with rubble, bricks and other debris. Several vehicles parked in one street appear to have been damaged by falling debris from surrounding buildings.

A video obtained by CNN shows huge plumes of smoke rising from the impact area.

Israel vowed earlier this week that Hezbollah would “pay the price” for a rocket attack on a soccer field in the town of Majdal Shams, near the Syrian-Lebanese border, that killed 12 children and injured 44 people.

Saturday’s attack sparked fears that a full-scale war could break out in the region.

Israel informed the United States before the attack, a source familiar with the matter said. The source said the warning was transmitted through security channels but did not disclose when it came.

This is a developing story and will be updated.