On Saturday, a football field in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights was struck by a rocket, tragically killing 12 children. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Hezbollah for the attack and vowed retaliation. True to his word, Israeli forces launched a strike on Tuesday night (July 30) targeting a building in southern Beirut, killing Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah’s most senior military commander. Israel claimed Shukr was responsible for the deadly rocket attack on Majdal Shams.
Israel’s attack in Beirut took place in the densely populated suburb of Dahieh, known as a Hezbollah stronghold. Residents reported hearing a loud blast followed by a plume of smoke rising over the neighborhood. The Israeli military stated that Shukr was the target of an “intelligence-based elimination” carried out by fighter jets. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) accused Shukr of being “the commander responsible for the murder of the 12 children in Majdal Shams in northern Israel on Saturday evening, as well as the killing of numerous Israelis and foreign nationals over the years.”
The attack left a trail of destruction, with photographs showing crushed cars and rubble-covered streets. The Lebanese health ministry reported three fatalities, including two children, and 74 injuries. Lebanon’s foreign minister expressed shock at the airstrike, particularly given assurances from Israel’s allies that the response would be “limited” and “would not produce a war”. Abdallah Bou Habib told The Guardian, “That’s what we’re afraid of, and hopefully this will not produce a war. We did not expect to be hit in Beirut. We thought these were red lines that the Israelis would respect.” Lebanon plans to file a complaint with the UN Security Council and seek a “proportional retaliation” from Hezbollah. Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the attack as a “criminal act” in a “series of aggressive operations killing civilians in clear and explicit violation of international law.”
Israel’s attack in Beirut is widely viewed as retaliation for Hezbollah’s rocket strike in the Golan Heights. Israel blamed Hezbollah for the attack, citing evidence of an Iranian-made rocket launched from Lebanon. The United States also condemned Hezbollah for the attack, though the group denied involvement.
According to Israel, the attack in Majdal Shams was orchestrated by Fuad Shukr, making him the target of the Beirut strike. Hezbollah has remained silent on Shukr’s death. A source close to the group told AFP that Shukr “commanded military operations in southern Lebanon” where Hezbollah has engaged in near-daily fire exchanges with Israel since the outbreak of war in Gaza last October. Shukr was also reportedly a close confidante of Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader.
Although details about Shukr’s life are scarce, his rise within Hezbollah coincided with the death of top commander Imad Mughniyeh in a 2008 car bombing in Damascus, an event for which Hezbollah blamed Israel. Matthew Levitt, an expert on Hezbollah at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, described Shukr as “more or less first among equals” in the group’s leadership. Mohanad Hage Ali, a Beirut-based fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Centre, echoed this sentiment, calling Shukr a “significant figure.” Reports indicate that Shukr was responsible for Hezbollah’s most advanced weaponry, including guided missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, long-range rockets, and UAVs. He is also accused by the US of planning the 1983 truck bombing of a Marine Corps barracks in Beirut that killed 241 American service members, the deadliest single-day attack on Marines since World War II. In 2015, the US Treasury Department designated him as a “specially designated national” for acting for or on behalf of Hezbollah, and in 2017, offered a $5 million bounty for his capture.
While Hezbollah has not confirmed or denied Shukr’s death, some reports claim he is still alive. The group’s decision to stay silent has heightened tensions, with many anticipating a retaliatory response for the loss of their top commander. Their supporters expect them to act, raising concerns that the cycle of escalating violence will become even more difficult to stop. The situation in the region remains volatile.
