Israeli forces Strike Hezbollah Chief of Staff in Lebanese capital Operation
Israeli forces allegedly targeted the top military official of the Lebanese Iran-aligned faction the Hezbollah organization in a airstrike on Beirut's southern district, according to the Israeli prime minister's office on Sunday.
This represented the initial strike in several months on the southern district of the capital city, an region renowned for sheltering officials from the group.
Target Named as Military Leader
The target of the strike was the army leader the Hezbollah chief of staff, per an source from Israel knowledgeable of the strike and a security official in Lebanon. The prime minister's office did not confirm whether the official was eliminated.
US Alert Details
A senior US official revealed that Israel did not notify Washington in advance about the airstrike, per a digital update.
The authority noted that the administration was notified right after the incident, and a second senior US official stated that the United States had been aware for several days that Israel was preparing to increase attacks in the country.
Background on the Target
The US imposed sanctions on the Hezbollah official in recent years, labeling him as a prominent Hezbollah military leader and offering a bounty of up to $5m for details on him.
Attack Particulars and Aftermath
The blast struck a main road in the capital's southern area, where inhabitants mentioned detecting the noise of aircraft before the explosion.
Residents rushed out of their apartment buildings out of concern of additional attacks, as stated by a reporter in the zone.
No fewer than two individuals were fatally wounded and approximately 24 were injured and rushed to clinics in the area, per hospital staff.
There was no prompt response from the organization.
Ongoing Israeli Campaign
Israeli strikes on the Lebanese faction over the recent period have eliminated its ex-head the group's past leader, a large portion of the high-ranking commanders and about five thousand combatants.
Comments from Prime Minister
The Israeli leader informed his government ministers on Sunday morning before the strike that Israel would continue to fight “militant activities” on several fronts.
“We will continue to do all that is required to stop Hezbollah from restoring its capacity to threaten us,” he declared.
Broader Situation
Israeli forces has increased air attacks in southern Lebanon, continuing a campaign of frequent strikes that it states is aimed to prevent a military revival by the faction in the boundary zone.
Israel has charged Hezbollah of seeking to rearm since a truce supported by the US recently.
The faction asserts it has abided by conditions for it to end its armed deployment in the boundary zone near the Israeli border, and for the national army to deploy there.
