Israel’s military has said that it killed top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in an airstrike on Beirut on Tuesday, in retaliation for a cross-border rocket attack it blamed on Hezbollah that killed 12 young people in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights three days earlier. The Israeli strike in the Lebanese capital killed at least three civilians including two children, and wounded dozens of people, Reuters reported.
Hezbollah’s media office has yet to confirm Shukr’s death, stating that they are still awaiting results from ongoing searches. Meanwhile, Lebanon’s al-Manar TV reported that the strike, which hit near Hezbollah’s Shura Council in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood, resulted in 74 injuries and three fatalities, citing the Lebanese health ministry. Dramatic footage shared on social media showed thick smoke rising from a collapsed residential building in southern Beirut, with numerous injured individuals receiving medical assistance from bystanders.
The Israeli military has defended its actions, asserting that the strike was a “targeted operation against the commander responsible for the deaths of children in Majdal Shams and the killing of numerous additional Israeli civilians”. Despite the severe nature of the attack, the Israeli military indicated that no new civil defence instructions had been issued, suggesting that no immediate further strikes were planned. An unnamed official quoted by Israel’s Channel 12 TV indicated that the country is not seeking a full-scale war.
In Lebanon, the response has been one of outrage. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the airstrike as a “criminal act”, while Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib announced plans to lodge a formal complaint with the United Nations. Bou Habib expressed hope that Hezbollah’s response would be measured and not escalate into a full-scale conflict.
The strike has provoked widespread condemnation from Lebanese officials and Hezbollah’s regional allies, including Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, as well as Syria and Iran. Hezbollah has denied involvement in the attack on the Golan Heights but confirmed that it had targeted a military site in the region with rockets. The tragic deaths of the children and young people in the Golan Heights had already prompted high-level Western diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing further escalation.
UN Special Coordinator Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert has urged both Israel and Lebanon to pursue diplomatic solutions to resolve the hostilities, stressing that “There is no such thing as a military solution.”
US Vice President Kamala Harris has reiterated that Israel “has the right to defend itself against the terrorist organisation”, Hezbollah. She stressed the importance of finding a diplomatic resolution, stating, “We still must work on a diplomatic solution to end these attacks, and we will continue to do that work.”
The White House, which also attributed the Golan Heights attack to Hezbollah, reaffirmed its support for Israel’s security against “all Iran-backed threats including Hezbollah” but placed an emphasis on ongoing diplomatic efforts.
The continuing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which last saw significant engagement in 2006, has intensified since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October. Hezbollah has justified its attacks on Israeli targets as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Despite the hostilities being largely confined to the border region, there are concerns about a broader confrontation, though both sides have indicated they do not seek a full-scale war.
Adding to the regional turmoil, the chief political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an airstrike in Tehran, Iran early on Wednesday. Hamas has accused Israel of orchestrating the assassination, which followed Haniyeh’s participation in Iran’s presidential inauguration. Israel has yet to comment on the incident, but it risks further retaliation from Iran or Hezbollah and could jeopardise ongoing Gaza cease-fire negotiations.
