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The Israeli military allegedly struck the chief of staff of the Lebanese Iran-aligned faction the Hezbollah organization in a strike on Beirut's southern district, per the Israeli prime minister's office on the weekend.

This marked the initial airstrike in several months on the southern district of the capital city, an area renowned for sheltering officials from the group.

Objective Identified as Ali Tabtabai

The objective of the operation was the military official Ali Tabtabai, as reported by an Israeli source knowledgeable of the strike and a Lebanese security source. The PM's office did not confirm whether the official was eliminated.

US Notification Details

A high-ranking American official indicated that Israeli authorities did not alert the US administration beforehand about the operation, as mentioned in a social media post.

The official noted that the administration was alerted immediately after the strike, and a second senior US official stated that the US had been aware for several days that Israel was preparing to intensify operations in Lebanon.

History on the Military Leader

The United States levied penalties on the Hezbollah official in 2016, identifying him as a critical Hezbollah military leader and providing a incentive of up to five million dollars for details on him.

Strike Particulars and Consequences

The strike hit a primary street in the capital's southern area, where residents reported hearing the noise of jets before the detonation.

Civilians fled out of their homes out of apprehension of further strikes, according to a reporter in the zone.

At least two people were lost their lives and two dozen were injured and transported to medical facilities in the region, as reported by hospital staff.

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.

Ongoing Israel's Campaign

Attacks by Israel on Hezbollah over the recent period have eliminated its former leader Hassan Nasrallah, a large portion of the high-ranking commanders and about five thousand combatants.

Comments from Israeli Leadership

The prime minister informed his government ministers on the morning of the incident before the attack that the country would carry on to combat “terrorism” on several fronts.

“We shall carry on to do all that is required to hinder Hezbollah from restoring its capacity to endanger our security,” he said.

Wider Context

Israel has increased airstrikes in southern Lebanon, advancing a operation of near-daily attacks that it states is aimed to hinder a rebuilding of capabilities by Hezbollah in the frontier region.

Israel has accused Hezbollah of seeking to acquire arms since a US-backed ceasefire the previous year.

The group says it has abided by stipulations for it to end its troop placement in the border region near the Israeli border, and for the national army to deploy there.