Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr killed in Israeli attack: IDF

The Israel Defense Forces said top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr was killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on Tuesday (local time), in a retaliation for a rocket attack on the Golan Heights that killed 12 children, the Times of Israel reported.

The Israeli strike killed Hezbollah’s most senior military commander, Fuad Shukar, the IDF said in a statement.

Shukr was a member of the Jihad Council, Hezbollah’s top military body, and was considered the head of its strategic division

According to the army, it has been managing Hezbollah’s attacks against Israel since Hamas launched an attack on October 7, including the deadly attack in Majdal Shams over the weekend that killed 12 children.

The IDF says Shukar was responsible for most of Hezbollah’s advanced weapons, including precision-guided missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, long-range rockets and UAVs, reports the Times of Israel. he/she was also responsible for the terrorist group’s “force building, planning and carrying out terrorist attacks against the State of Israel.”

“Assassinated: Fuad Shukr “Sayyed Muhsan”, Hezbollah’s most senior military commander and Hassan Nasrallah’s right-hand man,” the IDF said in a post on X.

“Shukra has directed Hezbollah’s attacks on the State of Israel since October 8, and was the commander responsible for the killing of 12 children in Majdal Shams, northern Israel, on Saturday evening, as well as the killing of numerous Israeli and foreign civilians over the past few years. he/she was also responsible for most of Hezbollah’s advanced weapons, including precision-guided missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, long-range rockets, and UAVs,” it said.

🔴Removed: Fuad Shukr “Sayyed Muhsan”, Hezbollah’s most senior military commander and Hassan Nasrallah’s right-hand man

Shukr has directed Hezbollah’s attacks on the State of Israel since October 8, and was the commander responsible for the murder of 12 children… pic.twitter.com/1poIm4XSVm

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 30, 2024

US Vice President Kamala Harris reacted to the development and expressed support for Israel, saying Tel Aviv “has a right to defend itself.”

he/she also stressed the need to find a “diplomatic solution” to end these attacks.

“Israel has a right to defend itself against a terrorist organization, which is Hezbollah. But having said all that, we must work on a diplomatic solution to end these attacks, and we will continue to do that,” he/she told reporters, according to Politico.

Meanwhile, both the Iran-backed Houthis and Hamas have condemned the Israeli attack in separate statements, reports CNN.

“While we reaffirm our solidarity with Lebanon and its resistance in the face of Zionist arrogance, we appreciate Hezbollah’s great role in supporting the Palestinian people and triumphing over their oppression, at a time when Arab regimes have abandoned their role and responsibility in protecting the Palestinian people and confronting crimes,” a statement from the Houthi political wing, also known as Ansar Allah, read.

In a separate statement, Hamas declared “full solidarity with our brothers Lebanon and Hezbollah.” Hamas also said it considered the Israeli attack a “dangerous escalation.”

Israel blamed Hezbollah for a rocket attack on the Golan Heights on Sunday. However, the Iran-backed militant group has denied responsibility.

The IDF confirmed the strike in Beirut and said its target was the commander responsible for the Majdal Shams attack.

“According to preliminary reports, the IDF carried out a targeted attack in Beirut on the commander responsible for the killing of children in Majdal Shams and the killing of several other Israeli civilians,” the IDF said in a post on X.

It further said, “At present there is no change in the defensive guidelines of the Home Front Command. If any changes are made, an update will be issued. Detailed information will be given later.”

Earlier, CNN quoted Lebanese media as saying that at least one woman was killed and several others were injured in the Israeli attack, and the injured were shifted to three nearby hospitals.

The development marks the most significant escalation by Israel since tensions escalated between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group after October 7.