An Israeli air strike targeted a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut's southern suburbs in what the Israeli military said was retaliation for a cross-border rocket attack three days before that killed 12 children and teenager

Beirut

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Middle East Conflict

Israeli airstrike kills senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut

An Israeli airstrike targeted a senior Hezbollah commander in the densely populated southern suburbs of Beirut. The Israeli military stated that the strike was in retaliation for a recent cross-border rocket attack that killed 12 young people. The attack has raised concerns about a potential escalation of conflict in the Middle East.

Beirut's southern suburbs are known as a Hezbollah stronghold, and the strike reportedly killed Hezbollah's highest-ranking military commander. In addition to the commander, Lebanon's health minister confirmed that another person was killed, and dozens were injured, some critically.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris commented on the strike, emphasizing Israel's right to self-defense, particularly against a terrorist organization like Hezbollah. Despite supporting Israel’s actions, she also stressed the importance of working towards a diplomatic solution to end the attacks.

Tensions had been high in Beirut following a previous rocket strike on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that resulted in the deaths of 12 children and teens. Although Hezbollah denied involvement, the group admitted to firing rockets at a military target in the Golan Heights. 

The situation prompted significant diplomatic efforts by Western nations to prevent a major escalation. Meanwhile, the Israeli military has not issued new civil defense instructions, suggesting there may not be immediate plans for further strikes. 

Turkey's foreign minister condemned the Israeli strike and announced plans to file a complaint with the United Nations. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed concerns about potential escalation but did not believe that a conflict between Hezbollah and Israel was inevitable.



Israel claims to kill Hezbollah commander in Beirut

An Israeli airstrike on the densely populated southern suburbs of Beirut heightened fears of an escalation of wider conflict in the Middle East. Israel's military said it was targeting a senior Hezbollah commander, in what it called a retaliation for a cross-border rocket attack that killed 12 young people. Whether or not it leads to a wider escalation will depend on how Hezbollah chooses to respond, says Rhonda Slim, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. This is a highly densely populated area. I expect the casualty rate to increase. The combination of a hit on a civilian site and leading to a civilian casualty rate, that will mean that Hezbollah will respond. The question is how they will respond. Beirut's southern suburbs are a stronghold of the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. The Israeli military said the airstrike killed Hezbollah's most senior military commander. Lebanon's health minister told Reuters that the strike also killed another person and injured dozens, some critically. On her way to a campaign stop in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to reporters about the strike. Israel has a right to defend itself. And I unequivocally support Israel's right to remain in the security of Israel. What we know in particular is it has a right to defend itself against a terrorist organization, which is exactly what Hezbollah is. But all of that being said, we still must work on a diplomatic solution to end these attacks, and we will continue to do that work. Thank you all. Beirut had been on edge for days, anticipating an Israeli reprisal. Days earlier, a rocket strike on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday killed 12 children and teens on a football field. Hezbollah denied involvement in the attack, but said the group fired rockets at a military target in the Golan Heights. The killing of the youths prompted a high-level Western diplomatic flurry to avert a major escalation that could inflame the wider region. The Israeli military said it had issued no new instructions for civil defense in Israel, a possible indication that Israel did not plan further strikes immediately. Erdogan's foreign minister said his government condemned the Israeli strike in Beirut and planned to file a complaint to the United Nations over it. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he did not believe a fight was inevitable between Hezbollah and Israel, though he remained concerned about the potential for escalation.

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