Why Israel striking

After the Israeli military took credit for the retaliatory strike on Tuesday, Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant declared on social media that "Hezbollah crossed the red line." The organization supported by Iran has denied being responsible for the Golan Heights attack.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's minister of national security stated that "every dog shall have his day" in a different post on his official X account.

The series of assaults represents the greatest Israeli escalation since hostilities between Israel and the militant organization supported by Iran began after October 7.

Fu'ad Shukr, also known as al-Hajj Mohsin, was the target of the strike, according to an Israeli official. Senior advisor to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Shukr holds the highest military rank inside the extremist organization.

According to a senior Israeli official, Israel aimed to send "a very strong message" with tonight's strike but hopes to prevent further escalation.

We do not want this to turn into a larger conflict, and in the end, a lot will depend on Hezbollah's current actions
 

The Israeli attack on Beirut was condemned by the Iranian Embassy in Lebanon in a post on X, labeling it as "cowardly and sinful Israeli aggression" that “claimed the lives of several martyrs and wounded.”

The attack occurred in the southern suburbs of the capital of Lebanon, a populated area and a bastion of the militant group, according to the Hezbollah-run Al Manar TV agency.

The aftermath of the strike in southern Beirut was captured on camera by Reuters. In the vicinity of the targeted building, streets covered in bricks, rubble, and other debris are visible to both emergency responders and bystanders. There are several cars parked on one block that look to have been harmed by falling building rubble.

CNN was able to capture footage showing massive smoke plumes rising from the hit location.

The analysis of after-photos and videos revealed that the building's southernmost portion was struck by the explosion, and that section sustained significant damage. Whole concrete slabs have either been reduced to a sheer cliff of debris or are hanging precariously.

The adjacent buildings appeared to be virtually completely undamaged, according to a journalist on the site. Most of the windows seem to be in good condition. Additionally, it seems that the strike has not affected the local stores. A portion of the space surrounding the building has been roped off by Lebanese soldiers.

The Bahman Hospital is located next to the building that was targeted. The hospital was not immediately captured in pictures or videos, and it was not apparent if it had suffered any damage.

Earlier this week, Israel declared that Hezbollah will "pay the price" for launching a rocket attack on a football pitch in Majdal Shams, close to the borders of Syria and Lebanon, which resulted in the deaths of 12 children and the injuries of 44 others.

According to Israel and the US, Hezbollah troops in Lebanon fired the rocket. Hezbollah acknowledged that it had fired at nearby Israeli military targets even though it denied being the cause of the attack.

On Tuesday, a fresh close-up video that captured the exact moment the football pitch was hit surfaced. It depicts kids having fun in a little park near the pitch as sirens begin to sound. The children don't first seek cover, but they seem nervous.

Then, only meters from the camera, the sound of the approaching rocket can be heard. It soon grows louder and louder until it crashes into the earth, seemingly knocking the girl holding the phone to the ground. The camera briefly witnesses an enormous fireball.

Before they and other children escape to safety behind a wall, they can be heard shrieking. "Mom! Mom!" she exclaims as she dashes to safety and hears what may be an alarm going off due to the explosion. About 30 seconds after the missile hit, the footage stopped.

There are worries that the incident on Saturday could lead to a full-scale conflict in the area.

A person with knowledge of the situation claims that Israel notified the US before initiating the strike. The source did not specify when the heads-up was given, only that it was communicated through security channels.

Israel last attacked the capital of Lebanon in January, when it assassinated a high-ranking member of Hamas, the Palestinian militant organization with which it has been at war in Gaza since the attacks of October 7. It was a targeted attack that destroyed a building's office with no additional damage.

The attack on Tuesday marks a distinct level, the worst Israeli escalation with the potent militant organization since October 8.

Israeli officials declared on Tuesday that, while "Israel isn't looking to [escalate the situation into] a regional war," their military “will get to any entity responsible for harming our citizens.”

"Life can return to normal in [both] Israel and Lebanon as long as the aggression stops and the terrorist threats posed against our citizens are removed," the Israeli officials declared.

According to the officials, Israel also considers Lebanon accountable for Hezbollah and “the strikes conducted from within its territory.”

An Israeli strike on the international airport or the southern suburbs of Beirut "would surely lead to war," the foreign minister of Lebanon stated to CNN on Monday. Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, has stated time and time again that Hezbollah will attack Tel Aviv in response to any Israeli attack on the capital of Lebanon.