Israel says its strike on Beirut Tuesday killed the Hezbollah commander who was behind the rocket attack that killed 12 children and teens over the weekend—and many other attacks. The Israeli military said the strike killed Fouad Shukur, the "most senior Hezbollah military commander," CNN reports. Israel said Shukur was responsible for the group's most advanced weaponry, including cruise missiles, reports the Guardian. The US, which accused Shukur of planning the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing that killed 241 American military personnel, had a $5 million bounty on his head.
Yoav Gallant, Israel's defense minister, said in a post on X that Shukur "has the blood of many Israelis on his hands. Tonight, we have shown that the blood of our people has a price, and that there is no place out of reach for our forces to this end." Hezbollah, which denied responsibility for the weekend rocket attack, has not confirmed the commander's death. Lebanese authorities said the Israeli strike killed three people, including two children, and injured 74. Authorities said the strike collapsed the top three floors of a building and people in neighboring buildings were injured by flying glass.
Lebanon's foreign minister said the Beirut strike was a shock because allies had provided assurances that Israel's response would be "limited." "Hopefully this will not produce a war," Abdallah Bou Habib told the Guardian. "We did not expect to be hit in Beirut. We thought these were red lines that the Israelis would respect." In a statement, White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said US commitment to Israel's security is "ironclad and unwavering against all Iran-backed threats, including Lebanese Hezbollah," CNN reports. The United Nations said it is "deeply concerned" by the strike. (More Hezbollah stories.)
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