Israel Target Hezbollah Chief of Staff in Lebanese capital Operation

Israeli forces allegedly attacked the top military official of Lebanon's Iran-aligned faction the Hezbollah organization in a operation on Beirut's southern suburbs, as stated by the office of the Israeli PM on Sunday.

This was the first strike in months on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, an area recognized for housing Hezbollah officials.

Objective Identified as Military Leader

The target of the attack was the military official the Hezbollah chief of staff, per an source from Israel knowledgeable of the incident and a Lebanese security source. The prime minister's office did not state whether the official was eliminated.

US Notification Details

A high-ranking American official indicated that Israel did not alert the US administration prior about the strike, per a digital update.

The authority clarified that the US government was informed following the incident, and a another American official said that the United States had had information for days that Israel was intending to increase strikes in the country.

History on the Target

The United States levied sanctions on Tabtabai in 2016, classifying him as a critical military figure in the group and offering a bounty of up to $5m for information on him.

Strike Particulars and Aftermath

The strike hit a central avenue in the capital's southern suburbs, where locals reported hearing the sound of jets before the blast.

People fled out of their homes out of apprehension of additional attacks, according to a journalist in the region.

At least two people were killed and two dozen were hurt and taken to medical facilities in the region, according to medical sources.

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.

Recent Israeli Campaign

Israeli strikes on Hezbollah over the last two years have eliminated its former leader the group's past leader, much of the group's top military brass and about thousands of militants.

Statements from Israeli Leadership

The Israeli leader addressed his government ministers on Sunday morning before the attack that the country would carry on to confront “terrorism” on several fronts.

“We will continue to do all that is required to stop the group from restoring its capacity to threaten us,” he declared.

Broader Context

Israeli forces has escalated airstrikes in southern Lebanon, continuing a operation of near-daily attacks that it says is aimed to block a military revival by the faction in the boundary zone.

Israeli authorities has accused the group of trying to acquire arms since a American-endorsed peace agreement the previous year.

The group asserts it has abided by conditions for it to end its troop placement in the border region near the Israeli border, and for the Lebanese army to station there.