On the night of July 30, the Israeli military announced that its air force targeted the capital of Lebanon, Beirut, and killed Foad Shukr, a commander of the Iran-aligned militant group Hezbollah, who was the head of its operations headquarters. The photo shows a city near Beirut affected by Israeli attacks. (Reuters 2024)
[Jerusalem/Beirut/Cairo/Washington/Moscow, 30th – Reuters] – The Israeli military announced on the 30th that it had bombed the Lebanese capital Beirut and killed a commander from the Iran-aligned militant group Hezbollah. This attack was reportedly in retaliation for a rocket attack on the Golan Heights that occurred on the 27th.
According to witnesses, around 7:40 PM local time, a large explosion was heard in the southern suburbs of Beirut where Hezbollah is based, and smoke was seen rising.
Israeli Defense Minister Gallant stated that this attack demonstrated that “there is a price for the blood of our people, and there is no place beyond the reach of our military for this purpose.”
Security officials from neighboring countries also confirmed that Shukr died from wounds sustained in the airstrike.
According to medical personnel and security sources, in addition to Shukr, three civilians, including two children, were killed. A Lebanese television station reported, based on information from the Ministry of Health, that three people died and 74 were injured in attacks near Hezbollah’s decision-making centers.
The Lebanese Foreign Minister Habib condemned the Israeli attack and expressed a desire to file a complaint with the United Nations. He also stated he hoped Hezbollah’s countermeasures would not escalate the situation.
Meanwhile, Hamas, which continues to fight against Israel in the Gaza Strip, and the Houthi movement in Yemen, along with the supporting nations of Iran and Syria, condemned the attacks.
On the other hand, the U.S. White House reiterated its commitment to Israel’s security against “all threats supported by Iran, including Hezbollah,” while stating that it is working towards a diplomatic resolution.
According to Russian news agency TASS, the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned Israel’s retaliatory attack as a “clear violation of international law.”
The Israeli military stated that no new directives had been issued regarding domestic civil defense, indicating that there might not be further plans for additional attacks at this time. Channel 12 reported statements from officials suggesting that Israel does not desire full-scale war.
According to Israeli media, the military will consider the response to the Beirut airstrike as the conclusion of the response to the Golan Heights attack, depending on Hezbollah’s reaction.
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