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Israeli forces allegedly attacked the chief of staff of the Lebanese Iran-aligned faction the Hezbollah organization in a operation on Beirut's southern district, according to the office of the Israeli PM on the weekend.

This represented the initial strike in months on the southern suburbs of the capital city, an area recognized for sheltering Hezbollah officials.

Target Identified as Military Leader

The target of the operation was the army leader Ali Tabtabai, per an source from Israel knowledgeable of the strike and a Lebanese security source. The PM's office did not state whether Tabtabai was eliminated.

US Alert Details

A senior US official indicated that Israel did not notify the US administration beforehand about the strike, per a social media post.

The official clarified that the US government was alerted right after the strike, and a another American official stated that the United States had known for days that Israeli forces was intending to increase operations in the country.

History on the Target

The United States imposed sanctions on Tabtabai in 2016, labeling him as a critical military figure in the group and providing a reward of up to five million dollars for details on him.

Strike Particulars and Aftermath

The blast impacted a primary street in the capital's southern suburbs, where inhabitants reported noticing the noise of aircraft before the blast.

Civilians fled out of their apartment buildings out of concern of additional attacks, as stated by a reporter in the zone.

No fewer than two people were lost their lives and several dozen were hurt and transported to hospitals in the vicinity, per health officials.

There was no quick statement from the organization.

Ongoing Israel's Operations

Israeli strikes on the Lebanese faction over the recent period have taken the lives of its previous chief the group's past leader, a significant part of the group's top military brass and about thousands of militants.

Statements from Israeli Leadership

The prime minister informed his cabinet on Sunday morning before the attack that Israel would continue to combat “militant activities” on various arenas.

“We shall carry on to do everything needed to stop Hezbollah from restoring its ability to pose a danger to us,” he declared.

Broader Context

Israeli forces has stepped up air attacks in southern Lebanon, pressing a initiative of near-daily attacks that it states is aimed to prevent a resurgence of forces by Hezbollah in the boundary zone.

Israel has accused the group of trying to acquire arms since a truce supported by the US the previous year.

The group says it has complied with conditions for it to end its armed deployment in the frontier area near the Israeli border, and for the Lebanese army to station there.