The Israeli military says it bombed Lebanon after the attack on Golan Heights

The Israeli-Hezbollah violence that killed 12 children and wounded two people over a weekend in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights

The Israeli military said it targeted a Hezbollah commander whom it blamed for a rocket strike over the weekend that killed 12 children and left several people wounded in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. The Iran-backed militia group has denied that it was involved in that attack.

Tensions have soared between Israel and Hezbollah since the assault on Saturday in the Golan Heights, which killed the children and teenagers as they played soccer.

The Israeli officials who talked about the strike spoke on condition of anonymity, to discuss the operation’s sensitive details.

Videos and photographs posted on social media on Tuesday showed smoke rising above buildings as darkness fell over Beirut. Some showed crowds gathering in the streets of the southern suburb, a dense civilian area where Hezbollah holds sway.

Fire trucks and ambulances rushed through Beirut’s streets to the scene of the strike, according to Lebanon’s state-run news agency. Lebanese television channels showed footage of a seriously damaged building.

Mohamed Awada, a taxi driver who lives in the south of the city said that he heard thunder and a big explosion when he opened his door.

The Defense Minister of Israel: “We Are Not Ending the War” and “We Will Have a Diplomatic Solution” after Tuesday’s Large Israeli-Lebanon Explosion

An Israeli official told NPR the commander of Hezbollah was targeted. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Ms. Ghaddar said that he was a very big target and that she was working for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “He would be the biggest loss for Hezbollah since Oct. 7.”

The State Department designated Mr. Shukr a “specially designated global terrorist” in December, according to the website.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, and TEL AVIV, Israel — A large explosion ripped through the streets of southern Beirut on Tuesday evening. Israel claimed responsibility for the strike a short time later.

The United States and other nations have urged Israeli officials to exercise restraint in the conflict with Hezbollah, warning against escalation as Israel continues its nearly 10-month campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

Close to the location of Tuesday’s strike in Beirut, police closed off the roads and an ambulance wailed its way to the area. People were shouting, “My family was inside, my family is inside!” as they ran toward the explosion.

It was clear that Israel would retaliate for Saturday’s rocket attack. “Hezbollah crossed the red line,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant wrote on X Tuesday.

When asked about the strike in a briefing with reporters, U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said that the United States’ support for Israel was “ironclad” especially if it did defend itself against Iran-backed threats. He said those included threats from Hezbollah.

The strike came as the international community urged restraint from both sides, fearing that an escalation on the Israel-Lebanon border could spark an all-out war.

John Kirby told reporters that the White House doesn’t want to see the war escalate. We don’t want to see anotherfront opened up in the north. What we want to do and what we’re still focused on is finding a diplomatic solution here to reduce the tensions.”

The White House’s press secretary was also able to answer questions about the strike in Lebanon. “We do not believe that an all out-war is inevitable,” she said, adding, “we believe that it can still be avoided.”

The US believes the best way to ease the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is for Hamas to stop fighting in the Gaza Strip.