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The Israeli military reportedly attacked the top military official of the Lebanese Iran-aligned group Hezbollah in a strike on the capital's southern district, as stated by the office of the Israeli PM on the weekend.

This marked the first strike in several months on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, an region recognized for housing officials from the group.

Target Named as Military Leader

The focus of the operation was the military official the Hezbollah chief of staff, per an Israeli source briefed on the strike and a Lebanese security source. The prime minister's office did not reveal whether the official was eliminated.

American Notification Particulars

A high-ranking American official revealed that Israel failed to inform the US administration beforehand about the airstrike, as mentioned in a social media post.

The authority clarified that the US government was alerted following the strike, and a second senior US official mentioned that the US had known for days that Israeli forces was planning to escalate operations in Lebanon.

History on the Target

The US levied penalties on Tabtabai in 2016, labeling him as a prominent military figure in the group and providing a bounty of up to $5m for details on him.

Strike Particulars and Consequences

The strike struck a central avenue in Beirut's southern area, where residents reported hearing the roar of jets before the blast.

Residents hurried out of their apartment buildings out of fear of more bombings, per a journalist in the region.

No fewer than two individuals were killed and several dozen were injured and transported to clinics in the region, as reported by health officials.

There was no quick statement from Hezbollah.

Ongoing Israel's Campaign

Israeli strikes on Hezbollah over the past couple of years have killed its former leader the group's past leader, much of the senior military leadership and about thousands of militants.

Statements from Israeli Leadership

The prime minister told his cabinet on Sunday morning before the attack that the country would persist to confront “terrorism” on multiple fronts.

“We shall carry on to do everything needed to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its capability to pose a danger to us,” he said.

Wider Context

Israeli forces has stepped up bombing raids in south Lebanon, pressing a campaign of regular assaults that it says is designed to hinder a military revival by the faction in the boundary zone.

Israeli authorities has accused the group of attempting to restock weapons since a US-backed ceasefire last year.

The group says it has followed conditions for it to terminate its troop placement in the border region near the Israeli border, and for the military forces to deploy there.