Israel has carried out an air raid in Beirut, killing at least three people in a move that could raise tensions between the country and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
Israel’s military said that Tuesday’s attack targeted Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, also known as Mohsen Shukr and al-Hajj Mohsen, whose condition was not immediately clear.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Health says a woman and two children were killed and dozens injured.
The attack comes three days after an attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which Israel blames on Hezbollah.
Here’s what to know about the explosion so far:
When and where did Israel attack Beirut?
The blast was heard in Beirut’s southern suburbs at approximately 19:40 local time (16:40 GMT) on Tuesday evening.
It hit the Haret Hreik neighbourhood near Hezbollah’s Shura Council, its central decision-making authority.
Half of the targeted buildings in the densely populated neighbourhood collapsed and a nearby hospital suffered minor damages. Surrounding streets were littered with debris and broken glass as ambulances rushed to the scene.
How many people died in the strike?
Lebanon’s Health Ministry says three people, including two children, were killed and 74 wounded in the strike.
The “non-final toll of the Israeli aggression on the southern suburbs of Beirut… is three martyrs, including a woman, a girl and a boy”, the ministry said, adding that “the search for missing persons under the rubble continues”.
Hezbollah sources have said Shukr survived the attack.
Why did Israel bomb Beirut?
Israel’s military said its strike targeted Hezbollah commander Muhsen Shukr, also known as ”Haj Muhsen”. It claimed that Muhsen was responsible for an attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights which killed 12 people and wounded 30 on Saturday.
Israel has occupied the western region of the Golan Heights since the 1967 war, while the remaining part is under Syria’s control.
The rocket attack on Saturday hit Majdal Shams, in the northeastern part of the Israeli-occupied territory.
Hezbollah has denied involvement in the attack.
Has Israel bombed Beirut before?
Since launching its war on Gaza in October, Israel has attacked Beirut at least once before Tuesday’s attack. On January 2, Israel carried out a strike that killed senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri.
Israel’s last attack on Beirut before this was in 2006, during the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah.
What’s next?
Israel’s military has not issued any new instructions for the civil defence in Israel following the attack.
Reporting from Beirut, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr said the Israeli messaging is that this was their promised response to the Majdal Shams attack and that they are not interested in more armed confrontation with Hezbollah beyond this.
While Hezbollah has promised to respond to any kind of attack from Israel, the retaliation may not be immediate, said Khodr.
Ori Goldberg, a political commentator in Tel Aviv, told Al Jazeera that the attack is likely not a “serious escalation”. He added that Israel might not risk war with Lebanon as it is already in the middle of “one of the most severe domestic crises it has ever experienced”.
“A war with Lebanon could perhaps rally Israelis around the flag but its effects would be almost immediately disastrous,” said Goldberg.
Responding to questions about the attack on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the United States does not believe that an all-out war between Hezbollah and Israel is inevitable.
US President Joe Biden “believes it can be avoided” with a diplomatic solution, she added.
