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 initially mention whether the strike was successful.

The IDF confirmed hours after the strike that it had " eliminated " Fuad Shukr, also known as Hajj Mohsin, who they described as Nasrallah's "right-hand man," and was "responsible for force buildup, planning, and execution of terror attacks against the State of Israel."

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.

Shukr was 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.

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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.

“We defer to Israel to speak to its own military operations. We reiterate our clear position: Our commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad and unwavering against all Iran-backed threats, including Hezbollah, and we are working on a diplomatic solution that will allow citizens to safely return to their homes,” an NSC spokesperson told the Washington Examiner.