Israel claims it has killed Hezbollah's top military commander in an airstrike on Beirut.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Tuesday that it had killed Hezbollah's top military commander, Fuad Shukr, in a "targeted airstrike" in Beirut. This action was in retaliation for the rocket attack that killed 12 children and teenagers in northern Israel last Saturday.

**Why it matters:** This is the first IDF airstrike against a Hezbollah target in the Lebanese capital since the Gaza conflict began on October 7. The Biden administration had privately cautioned Israel against targeting Beirut, warning that it could lead to uncontrollable escalation.

The airstrike marks the most significant Israeli operation against Hezbollah since the assassination of its top military commander, Imad Mughniyeh, by the Israeli Mossad in Syria in 2008.

**The latest:** Shukr, also known as al-Hajj Mohsin, was a senior adviser on military affairs to Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah and oversaw all of Hezbollah's military operations. The IDF stated that Shukr "led Hezbollah's fighting against Israel since October 8" and was "entrusted with Hezbollah's most advanced weapons, including precision missiles, cruise missiles, coastal missiles, long-range rockets, and unmanned aerial vehicles." Shukr is also wanted by the FBI for his involvement in the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, which killed 241 U.S. service members.

Hezbollah has not yet publicly commented or confirmed Shukr's death. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that one person was killed in the strike and 70 people were wounded.

**Behind the scenes:** A senior Israeli official stated that Israeli military officers informed their U.S. counterparts several minutes before the strike and briefed them on the target. IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the IDF was in constant communication with the U.S. military central command before and after the strike.

**What they're saying:** "We attacked the Hezbollah commander responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and for the killing of many other Israelis," the IDF said in a statement. Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant tweeted minutes after the strike: "Hezbollah crossed our red line." Hagari stated, "Israel doesn't want war but is fully prepared for it." Acting Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikatti condemned the strike, while Lebanon's Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib expressed hope that Hezbollah's response would be proportionate and that the killing would cease. Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters that Israel has the right to defend itself, "especially against the terrorist organization Hezbollah." However, she added, "we still must work on a diplomatic solution to end these attacks."

**The big picture:** Israel and the U.S. blamed Hezbollah for Saturday's deadly strike on a soccer field in the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, which killed 12 children and teenagers and wounded more than 30 others. Hezbollah denied involvement, but White House spokesperson John Kirby stated in a briefing on Monday that the U.S. is convinced the group was responsible.