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 was killed and several others injured in the attack, Lebanon’s state news agency NNA reported. The injured, some with serious injuries, were taken to nearby hospitals.

Israel’s 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 retaliatory strike on Tuesday. The Iran-backed group has denied being behind the attack on the Golan Heights.

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

The series of attacks represents the most significant escalation in Israel since tensions between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group flared after October 7.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it 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.” It did not provide details on how the attack was carried out.

An Israeli official identified the target of the attack as Fu’ad Shukr, also known as al-Hajj Mohsin. Shukr is a senior adviser to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, according to the U.S. government website. He serves in the militant group’s highest military rank.

Israel wanted to send a “very strong message” with today’s attack, according to a senior Israeli official, but hopes to avoid further escalation.

“We do not want this to escalate into a larger war, and whether or not it ultimately escalates depends very much on how Hezbollah responds now,” the senior Israeli official told CNN.

The Iranian embassy in Lebanon condemned the Israeli attack on Beirut in a post on X, calling it a “cowardly and sinful Israeli aggression” that “claimed the lives of a number of martyrs and wounded.”

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

According to Hezbollah-run Al Manar television agency, the attack hit the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, a densely populated area that is a stronghold of the militant group.

A Reuters video shows the aftermath of the attack in southern Beirut. Rescue workers and passersby can be seen near the attacked building through 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.

A CNN journalist on the scene saw images of chaos on the street as ambulances and fire trucks rushed to the target building. The journalist also saw paramedics carrying an injured person on a stretcher.

The attack destroyed at least five floors of part of the attacked building, according to a CNN image and video analysis.

Photos and videos of the aftermath analyzed by CNN showed that the attack was directed at the southern part of the building and that significant damage was caused there. Whole concrete slabs are either hanging dangerously or have collapsed into a steep wall of rubble.

A CNN journalist on the scene reported that there was little visible damage to the surrounding buildings. The windows appear to be mostly intact. Shops in the area also appear to have been spared from the attack. Lebanese soldiers have cordoned off part of the area around the building.

The building attacked was next to Bahman Hospital. There were no immediate photos or videos showing damage to the hospital and it was unclear if it was damaged. CNN was unable to reach the hospital for comment.

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.

Israel and the United States said the rocket was fired by Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. Hezbollah denies responsibility for the attack but says it fired at Israeli military targets in the region.

On Tuesday, a new close-up video emerged showing the moment the soccer field was hit. It shows children playing in a small park next to the field as the sirens begin to wail. The youngsters appear frightened but do not initially seek shelter.

Then the sound of the incoming missile is heard, which quickly becomes deafening before it slams into the ground just feet from the camera, seemingly knocking the girl to the ground with the phone in her hand. For a split second, the camera captures a huge fireball caused by the explosion.

Children can be heard screaming before running for shelter behind a wall with others. “Mommy! Mommy!” she screams as she runs for safety, while an alarm can be heard, perhaps set off by the explosion. The video ends about 30 seconds after the rocket hits.

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.

The last time Israel attacked the Lebanese capital was in January, when it killed a senior figure in Hamas, the Palestinian militant group with which it has been at war since the October 7 attacks in the Gaza Strip. It was a targeted strike that destroyed an office in one building and otherwise caused little damage.

Tuesday’s attack is of a completely different caliber and represents the biggest escalation between Israel and the powerful militant group since October 8.

Israeli government officials said on Tuesday that the military “will hold accountable any organization that harms our citizens,” but added: “Israel does not seek to escalate the situation into a regional war.”

“As long as the aggression stops and the terrorist threat to our citizens is eliminated, life in Israel and Lebanon can return to normal,” the Israeli officials said.

The officials also say Israel blames Lebanon for “the attacks carried out from its territory” and the Hezbollah group.

Previously, months of mutual attacks between Israel and Hezbollah had largely been limited to areas near the border between Lebanon and Israel.

On Monday, Lebanon’s foreign minister told CNN that an Israeli attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs or international airport would “certainly lead to war.” Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has repeatedly said that any Israeli attack on the Lebanese capital would trigger a Hezbollah attack on Tel Aviv.

This is a developing story and will be updated.