BEIRUT, Lebanon – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it killed senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in a targeted airstrike in a southern suburb of Beirut on Tuesday evening, a move that dramatically raises the stakes in an already volatile conflict and pushes the region to the brink of a full-scale war.

The strike, which leveled a residential building in the Haret Hreik neighborhood, was described by Israeli officials as a direct retaliation for a Hezbollah rocket attack last weekend that killed 12 people, including several children, in the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed Lebanese militant group and political party, has not yet officially confirmed Shukr’s death, but Lebanese security sources and reports from multiple international news agencies have corroborated the killing. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported at least four civilians were killed and dozens wounded in the powerful blast.

The targeted assassination of such a high-ranking figure represents one of the most significant escalations since the cross-border conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began on October 8, a day after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.

A Key Hezbollah Figure

Fuad Shukr, also known as "Al-Hajj Mohsen," was one of Hezbollah's most influential and long-serving military leaders. According to the IDF and U.S. intelligence, he served on the Jihad Council, Hezbollah's highest military body, and was a senior military advisor to the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

U.S. officials have long identified Shukr as a key player in the group’s operations. The State Department's Rewards for Justice program had offered a $5 million bounty for information on him, linking him to the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut that killed 241 American service personnel. He was also believed to be responsible for planning and executing Hezbollah's military operations, including its advanced weapons programs involving precision-guided missiles.

In a statement, the IDF spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, called Shukr "responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams" and said he was in command of the group’s project to acquire and upgrade long-range, precise weaponry. "His elimination is a significant blow to the organization," Hagari stated.

Regional Tensions at Boiling Point

The strike on a densely populated area of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, marks a serious shift in Israeli tactics. For months, the fighting has largely been confined to the border region, but the killing of Shukr on the home turf of Hezbollah's leadership signals a new and more dangerous phase.

The immediate question is how Hezbollah will respond. The group has vowed severe retaliation for any Israeli attacks on Lebanese civilians or its senior leadership. A muted response could be seen as a sign of weakness, but a large-scale attack on Israeli cities could trigger the all-out war that both sides have so far sought to avoid.

International leaders have urgently called for de-escalation. The White House said it was monitoring the situation closely and urged against further escalation. United Nations officials in Lebanon have repeatedly warned that a miscalculation from either side could lead to a devastating conflict with catastrophic consequences for Lebanon and the wider region.

As Beirut's emergency services continue to search the rubble and the region holds its breath, the path forward remains uncertain. The killing of Fuad Shukr has removed a key enemy for Israel but may have also lit the fuse for a conflict far larger and more destructive than any seen in decades.