Israel targets Hezbollah commander behind soccer attack with strike in Beirut

Israel’s military carried out what it described as a “targeted strike” in Beirut on Tuesday, targeting the Hezbollah commander whom it said was responsible for the strike last weekend in the Golan Heights that killed a dozen children.

“The IDF carried out a targeted strike in Beirut, on the commander responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and the killing of numerous additional Israeli civilians,” the IDF said, though it did not mention whether the strike was successful and if there were any collateral casualties.

Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defense minister, said on X, “Hezbollah crossed the red line.” Now the attention turns back to Hezbollah to see how the group will respond.

Initial reports suggest the target was Fuad Shukr, also known as al Hajj Mohsin, a senior military adviser to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The United States put a $5 million bounty on Shukr, who is a U.S.-designated Specially Designated Global Terrorist, years ago. He “played a central role” in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, which killed 241 U.S. military personnel and injured another 128 people, according to the Rewards for Justice readout.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Monday that Israel’s response to this weekend’s strike in Majdal Shams would be “severe.”

Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged rocket and missile fire across the Israel-Lebanon border since shortly after Hamas carried out its Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel that left roughly 1,200 people dead, while another 250 or so were kidnapped and brought back to Gaza.

Hezbollah and Hamas are both backed by Iran, though Hezbollah is considered more sophisticated with a larger force than its Gaza-based counterpart.

Israel carried out several other strikes overnight into Tuesday, hitting several targets in southern Lebanon utilized by Hezbollah, and shortly after, the IDF announced it identified about 10 projectiles that crossed from Lebanon into northern Israel — the majority of which the military intercepted.

U.S. officials have indicated they do not believe, nor do they want, Israel and Hezbollah’s conflict to expand into a full-blown war, which would likely be highly damaging to both sides in terms of casualties and destruction.