Israel struck a suburb of Beirut, killing a prominent commander, according to Hezbollah

Hezbollah in Lebanon declared on Wednesday that its most senior member, Fuad Shukr, had been killed in an Israeli strike outside the country’s capital. Shukr had been fighting Israel for almost ten months.

Hezbollah’s heartland, the southern suburbs of Beirut, were struck by the strike on Tuesday evening. This was the second time that the region had been hit since Hezbollah and Israel started exchanging gunfire concurrent with the Gaza War in October.

The Israeli military declared late on Tuesday that it had assassinated Shukr, citing him as the most senior leader of Hezbollah and holding him accountable for an attack on July 27 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that claimed the lives of twelve children.

Iran-supported Hezbollah refuted being involved in the attack on Golan.
The attack on Beirut took place just hours before Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, was killed in the early hours of Wednesday in Iran, a development that has increased concerns about a wider regional escalation. Hezbollah is a Hamas ally.

Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary general of Hezbollah, is scheduled to give a speech on Thursday during Shukr’s funeral.

According to Hezbollah sources and the Israeli military’s confirmation of Shukr’s death, he was an advisor to Nasrallah.

Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Minister of Defense, claimed that Shukr “has the blood of many Israelis on his hands.” We have demonstrated tonight that there is a cost to the blood of our people and that our forces can reach any location in order to achieve this goal.”

Almost 24 hours after the attack, according to two Lebanese security officials, Shukr’s body was discovered under the debris on Wednesday night.
According to security and medical officials, at least two mothers and two children also perished.

“WE’RE UP FOR IT,”

A multi-story building’s upper corner appeared to have been severed during the attack, and burnt fragments of rubble were strewn across the nearby structures and roadways.

Legislators and ministers from Lebanon came to the scene on Wednesday. Hezbollah parliamentarian Ali Ammar denounced the attack on Dahiyeh and Haniyeh’s murder in Tehran while speaking from the rubble. Regarding the killing of Haniyeh, Israel has remained silent.

“This enemy (Israel) demands war and we are up for it, God willing, we are up for it,” Ammar stated.

In order to discuss the strike on Beirut, the cabinet of Lebanon convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday morning. Information Minister Ziad Makary then made a statement to reporters.

Makary denounced the strike and stated that Hezbollah’s reprisal was expected, but the government was concerned that things could “spiral”.
He declared, “Lebanon does not want war,” and stated the government would work to reduce tensions through diplomacy.