Israel carried out a deadly airstrike in a densely populated suburb of Beirut on Tuesday, targeting Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah official, in response to a rocket attack in the Golan Heights that resulted in the deaths of 12 children and teenagers playing soccer.
The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed that Shukr was "eliminated" in the strike, but Hezbollah has yet to verify this, and independent confirmation is lacking. The attack on Tuesday, which also killed at least three other people—including a woman and two children—and injured 74 others, has exacerbated concerns about a potential escalation in the long-standing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanon's Ministry of Health reported extensive casualties and damage, with officials still searching the rubble for more victims. The strike hit near Hezbollah's Shura Council, a key decision-making body, and has heightened fears of a wider conflict.
The rocket attack on the Golan Heights, attributed to Hezbollah, had struck the Arab Druse village of Majdal Shams. In response to the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a “severe” retaliation, although international diplomats, including the U.S., have urged restraint.
As tensions rise, U.S. officials have been working to avoid further escalation, and Lebanon's foreign minister expressed hopes that any potential retaliation by Hezbollah would be minimal. Shukr, a key military figure within Hezbollah responsible for various advanced weaponry, had been a significant target for Israel due to his involvement in past high-profile attacks, including the 1983 bombing of a U.S. Marine compound in Beirut.
