A massive Israeli strike rocked southern Lebanon targeting a top Hezbollah military commander as fears of a wider war exploded.
Massive plumes of smoke were seen over the Lebanese capital Beirut today (Tuesday) as Israel‘s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant declared the militant group Hezbollah had “crossed the red line”.
The Israeli military said it had struck targeting the militant commander allegedly behind the deaths of 12 children and teens.
The strike comes days after a rocket strike from Lebanon killed 12 youths in an attack that Israel has blamed on the Lebanon-based and Iran-back group, Hezbollah. Hezbollah itself denies it was behind the attack.
In a statement, the IDF said: “Preliminary: The IDF targeted in Beirut the commander responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and killed many Israeli civilians.
“At this point, there is no change in the directives of the Home Front Command. If there are any changes we will update. More details to come.”
Unconfirmed reports on social media suggested that the IDF had killed Fuad Shukr, top military advisor to Hezbollah’s leader Hasan Nasrallah, however, news site Al Arabiya claims the “assassination failed”.
Meanwhile, in the Upper Galilee region of northern Israel, a large cloud of smoke was seen after a rocket was launched towards the country from Lebanon.
Israeli news site N12 quote a senior government source as saying “Whether or not war breaks out depends on Hezbollah. We have no intention of starting a regional war”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed heavy retaliation against Hezbollah for Saturday’s rocket strike in the Israel-controlled Golan Heights which killed 12 children on a football field, though Hezbollah has denied any role in the attack.
Meanwhile, tensions remained high in Israel as soldiers were due to appear before a military court today (Tuesday) over what a defence lawyer said were allegations of sexual abuse of a Palestinian at a facility where Israel has held prisoners from Gaza during the war.
Hard-line nationalists in Netanyahu’s government and others have protested.
An investigation by The Associated Press has exposed abysmal conditions at Sde Teiman, where most of the thousands detained in Gaza have been held.
Israeli authorities have generally denied abuses in detention facilities for Palestinians.
