Israeli forces Attack Lebanese group Chief of Staff in Lebanese capital Airstrike
Israeli forces reportedly struck the chief of staff of Lebanon's Iran-aligned faction Hezbollah in a airstrike on Beirut's southern district, as stated by the office of the Israeli PM on the weekend.
This represented the first strike in months on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, an zone known for housing 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 Israeli source briefed on the incident and a security official in Lebanon. The prime minister's office did not confirm whether the official was fatally wounded.
US Notification Details
A high-ranking American official revealed that Israeli authorities failed to inform the US administration beforehand about the strike, per a social media post.
The authority clarified that the administration was notified immediately after the incident, and a another American official stated that the US had had information for days that Israeli forces was planning to increase operations in the country.
History on the Target
The United States enforced sanctions on Tabtabai in 2016, classifying him as a key military figure in the group and providing a reward of up to five million dollars for intel on him.
Attack Details and Aftermath
The blast struck a primary street in the capital's southern suburbs, where locals reported noticing the noise of aircraft before the blast.
Civilians rushed out of their residences out of fear of additional attacks, per a correspondent in the zone.
At least two people were killed and two dozen were injured and taken to medical facilities in the vicinity, as reported by medical sources.
There was no immediate comment from the organization.
Recent Israel's Operations
Attacks by Israel on Hezbollah over the last two years have killed its ex-head Hassan Nasrallah, a large portion of the senior military leadership and about thousands of militants.
Comments from Israeli Leadership
The Israeli leader informed his government ministers on the morning of the incident before the attack that Israel would persist to fight “militant activities” on several fronts.
“We will continue to do whatever is necessary to prevent the group from re-establishing its ability to threaten us,” he said.
Broader Situation
Israel has stepped up bombing raids in southern Lebanon, pressing a initiative of frequent strikes that it says is designed to prevent a rebuilding of capabilities by Hezbollah in the border area.
Israel has accused the group of trying to rearm since a US-backed ceasefire recently.
The group says it has followed conditions for it to end its armed deployment in the frontier area near Israel, and for the national army to position there.
