- Hezbollah confirms death of commander Fuad Shukr
Following the Israeli attack on a suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has confirmed the death of its military commander Fuad Shukr. Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, described the Israeli attack on Shukr as a "sinful attack and a grave crime".
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah is expected to comment on the attack at Shukr's funeral, which will take place on Thursday. So far, Hezbollah has been relatively quiet in its response to the attack that occurred on Tuesday evening.
The Israeli military had previously stated that it had "neutralized" Shukr in an attack on a house in a suburb of Lebanon's capital Beirut. An Israeli spokesperson confirmed the death on Tuesday evening.
Shukr, according to Israeli reports, served as the right-hand man of Hezbollah Secretary-General Nasrallah and was his advisor for planning and leading military operations. He was also responsible for coordinating Hezbollah's attacks on Israel since October 7. Shukr was also reportedly behind the rocket attack on the Druze village of Majdal Shams on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, which resulted in 12 deaths three days ago. Independent verification of these claims is currently not possible.
Following the rocket attack in Majdal Shams, the Israeli government announced a retaliatory strike. It holds Hezbollah responsible for the attack. Hezbollah has repeatedly denied any involvement, stating that it had nothing to do with the attack.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated further after the Israeli attack on Shukr, as Hezbollah classified it as a "sinful attack and a grave crime." Despite this, Hezbollah has been relatively subdued in its response, leading many to speculate about its next move.
