Israel says it killed Hezbollah commander in Beirut blamed for Golan Heights strike : NPR

BEIRUT, Lebanon, and TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel says its forces killed a top Hezbollah commander in a targeted strike in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital of Beirut, in retaliation for a deadly weekend rocket attack in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

In a statement late Tuesday, Israel’s military said “Israeli Air Force fighter jets eliminated the Hezbollah terrorist organization’s most senior military commander and the head of its Strategic Unit, Fuad Shukr ‘Sayyid Muhsan,’ in the area of Beirut.”

Calling him a “right-hand man” to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, the statement said Fuad Shukr was responsible for operations including the attack that killed 12 children and teenagers and wounded several people on Saturday in Majdal Shams, in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

Hezbollah, a Lebanese militia and political movement supported by Iran, has denied involvement in Saturday’s Majdal Shams attack.

Israel did not say how it determined the Hezbollah commander was killed or provide evidence of his death. Hezbollah has not commented on Tuesday’s strike in Beirut or whether Shukr died.

A large explosion ripped through the streets of southern Beirut Tuesday evening after Israeli forces struck an apartment building, leaving it partially collapsed. Police closed off the roads and an ambulance wailed its way to the area. People were shouting, “My family was inside, my family is inside!” as they ran toward the explosion.

Israel had made it clear that it would retaliate for Saturday’s rocket attack it blamed on Hezbollah. “Hezbollah crossed the red line,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant wrote on X Tuesday.

The strike came as the international community has been urging restraint from both sides, fearing that an escalation on the Israel-Lebanon border could spark an all-out war.

Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said: “Our aim is not for war, but we are well-prepared for it.”

He added that Israel is “in continuous dialogue” with the United States and its military, “especially tonight.”

The United States says Israel has a right to defend itself against threats from Hezbollah, while diplomacy is also needed to resolve conflicts in the region.

“Israel has a right to defend itself and I unequivocally support Israel’s right to remain secure and to defend the security of Israel,” Vice President Harris said after landing in Atlanta for an election campaign trip.

“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,” she said.

On Monday, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters, “We don’t want to see the war escalate” and “to see a second front” open up between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. “What we want to do and what we’re still focused on is finding a diplomatic solution here to reduce the tensions,” he said.

U.S. diplomats believe the best way to defuse the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict is to reach a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.

Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire since the war in Gaza began on Oct. 7 of last year, after the Hamas-led attack on Israel. The Israel-Hezbollah fighting has largely remained confined to targets near the border.

In January, Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri was killed in a strike in Beirut that was widely blamed on Israel, but that the Israeli military did not confirm or deny.

Kat Lonsdorf and Hadeel Al-Shalchi reported from Tel Aviv, Israel; Jane Arraf and Jawad Rizkallah reported from Beirut.