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Israeli forces allegedly struck the chief of staff of Lebanon's Iran-aligned group Hezbollah in a operation on the capital's southern district, as stated by the office of the Israeli PM on Sunday.

This was the first attack in several months on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, an zone recognized for hosting officials from the group.

Objective Identified as Military Leader

The objective of the operation was the military official the Hezbollah chief of staff, according to an source from Israel knowledgeable of the strike and a Lebanese security source. The prime minister's office did not confirm whether the official was fatally wounded.

US Notification Details

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

The authority added that the US government was informed right after the incident, and a second senior US official stated that the United States had been aware for several days that Israel was planning to escalate attacks in the country.

History on the Target

The United States levied sanctions on Tabtabai in recent years, classifying him as a prominent military figure in the group and offering a bounty of up to $5m for intel on him.

Strike Details and Aftermath

The airstrike impacted a central avenue in the capital's southern suburbs, where locals stated noticing the noise of jets before the blast.

Civilians fled out of their homes out of fear of more bombings, as stated by a journalist in the area.

No fewer than two people were lost their lives and approximately 24 were hurt and rushed to medical facilities in the area, per health officials.

There was no quick statement from the organization.

Recent Israel's Operations

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

Statements from Israeli Leadership

The Israeli leader addressed his cabinet on the morning of the incident before the strike that Israel would carry on to confront “terrorism” on various arenas.

“We shall carry on to do everything needed to hinder Hezbollah from re-establishing its ability to threaten us,” he stated.

Broader Situation

Israeli forces has increased air attacks in south Lebanon, advancing a initiative of regular assaults that it claims is designed to prevent a military revival by the faction in the border area.

Israeli authorities has charged Hezbollah of attempting to restock weapons since a US-backed ceasefire recently.

The faction claims it has complied with stipulations for it to terminate its troop placement in the boundary zone near the Israeli border, and for the military forces to deploy there.