The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Tuesday they had carried out a strike in Beirut aimed at taking out the Hezbollah commander who ordered the rocket attack that struck a soccer field in the Golan Heights during a game.

This from jewishchronicle.timesofisrael.com.

Shukr, who was also known as Hajj Mohsin, joined Hezbollah in 1985. He was also sought by the U.S. government over his connection to the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing, which targeted U.S. Marines.

The IDF confirmed the news in a press release, announcing its:

[Fighter jets] eliminated the Hezbollah terrorist

organization’s most senior military commander [Shukr].

Shukr died as a result of the IDF strike on Tuesday in southern Beirut, Lebanon, although, Hezbollah had not confirmed the death of Shukr as of this writing.

Ambulances are seen following an Israeli military strike on a building in southern Beirut on Tuesday. 

The release further explained:

As the Head of Hezbollah’s Strategic Unit, Fuad was responsible for the majority of Hezbollah’s most advanced weaponry, including precise-guided missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, long-range rockets, and UAVs.

He was responsible for force build-up, planning, and execution of terror attacks against the State of Israel.

People can be seen inspecting damaged cars in Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday. 

One missile struck an apartment building next to a hospital in the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Beirut.

A senior Israeli official told Fox News earlier on Tuesday that Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant was in contact with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin regarding the present situation.

Debris and a destroyed vehicle are the result of falling debris after the top floors of a building were destroyed.

A source stated:

This was about sending a clear message. We don’t want to see a wider war.

Now this is in the hands of Hezbollah. Within 24 hours after the rocket attack in the Golan Heights, this response was being discussed among other options.

American and Israeli officials both are concerned the horrific assault by Hezbollah could lead to a wider war in the region.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz discussed the deadly attack with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who declared that ‘Hezbollah crossed all red lines’ and the Jewish state was now “facing an all-out war” with the Lebanese terrorists.

“I have no doubt that we’ll pay a cost,” Katz said, adding Hezbollah will pay a higher toll for its actions.

Netanyahu’s statement that Hezbollah “crossed all red lines” is indicative of the Israeli Prime Minister’s willingness to increasingly take the fight to the enemy.

At this juncture, whether Israel’s actions will be limited to air and rocket attacks or whether the IDF will stage an invasion of Lebanon is unclear; they have done so in Gaza, but Lebanon is quite a different tactical and strategic situation, indeed.