Israel has carried out an airstrike in Beirut, resulting in at least one death and potentially escalating tensions between the country and the Lebanese group Hezbollah. The Israeli military reported that the attack on Tuesday targeted Hezbollah commander Muhsin Shukr, whose current condition is unclear.
The airstrike occurred three days after an attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which Israel blames on Hezbollah. The explosion was heard in the southern suburbs of Beirut around 7:40 PM local time (16:40 GMT) and struck the Haret Hreik neighborhood, near Hezbollah’s Shura Council, which is the group’s central decision-making body. Half of the damaged buildings in the densely populated neighborhood collapsed, while a nearby hospital sustained minor damage. Streets in the area were covered with debris and broken glass as ambulances rushed to the scene.
The Israeli military claimed that the attack was aimed at Muhsin Shukr, also known as “Haj Muhsen.” According to Israel, Shukr was responsible for an attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 people and injured 30 on Saturday. Israel has occupied the western part of the Golan Heights since the 1967 war, while the rest remains under Syrian control. The rocket attack on Saturday targeted Majdal Shams, located in the northeastern part of the occupied area. Hezbollah has denied any involvement in that attack.
As the casualties are still being confirmed, Lebanon’s National News Agency has reported at least one death and several injuries. However, sources from Hezbollah claim that Shukr survived the airstrike.
Since the start of Israel’s war against Gaza in October, Israel has attacked Beirut on at least one previous occasion before Tuesday’s strike. On January 2, Israel conducted an attack that killed senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri. The last previous attack on Beirut occurred in 2006 during the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah.
According to Al Jazeera reporter Zeina Khodr, Israel’s message is that this was their promised response to the Majdal Shams attack, and they do not seek further armed confrontation with Hezbollah. Although Hezbollah has vowed to respond to any attacks from Israel, the retaliation may not be immediate.
Ori Goldberg, a political commentator in Tel Aviv, stated that the airstrike is unlikely to represent a “serious escalation,” noting that Israel is unlikely to risk a war with Lebanon amid one of the worst domestic crises the country has ever experienced. “A war with Lebanon could possibly rally Israelis around the flag, but the consequences would almost immediately be catastrophic,” said Goldberg.
Regarding the Tuesday attack, U.S. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that the U.S. does not believe a large-scale war between Hezbollah and Israel is inevitable. U.S. President Joe Biden “believes it can be avoided” through diplomatic solutions, she added.