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Israeli forces allegedly struck the top military official of Lebanon's Iran-backed group the Hezbollah organization in a strike on Beirut's southern district, per the Israeli prime minister's office on the weekend.

This was the first airstrike in months on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, an zone known for hosting officials from the group.

Objective Identified as Ali Tabtabai

The objective of the attack was the army leader the Hezbollah chief of staff, as reported by an source from Israel briefed on the strike and a security official in Lebanon. The prime minister's office did not confirm whether Tabtabai was fatally wounded.

US Notification Details

A senior US official revealed that Israeli authorities failed to inform Washington beforehand about the operation, as mentioned in a digital update.

The authority noted that the administration was alerted immediately after the strike, and a second senior US official said that the United States had known for days that Israeli forces was intending to escalate strikes in Lebanon.

Background on the Military Leader

The United States enforced sanctions on Tabtabai in recent years, classifying him as a prominent military figure in the group and providing a bounty of up to $5m for information on him.

Attack Particulars and Aftermath

The strike impacted a primary street in Beirut's southern area, where locals reported hearing the noise of aircraft before the detonation.

Civilians fled out of their apartment buildings out of fear of more bombings, as stated by a reporter in the area.

No fewer than two people were lost their lives and several dozen were wounded and rushed to medical facilities in the vicinity, according to hospital staff.

There was no quick statement from the group.

Recent Israeli Operations

Israeli strikes on Hezbollah over the past couple of years have killed its previous chief Hassan Nasrallah, a significant part of the senior military leadership and about five thousand combatants.

Statements from Israeli Leadership

The prime minister informed his cabinet on Sunday morning before the attack that Israel would continue to fight “terrorism” on several fronts.

“We will continue to do everything needed to stop Hezbollah from re-establishing its ability to endanger our security,” he said.

Wider Situation

Israeli forces has escalated bombing raids in south Lebanon, pressing a campaign of near-daily attacks that it states is aimed to prevent a military revival by Hezbollah in the border area.

Israeli authorities has alleged Hezbollah of attempting to rearm since a American-endorsed peace agreement last year.

The faction says it has followed requirements for it to terminate its military presence in the frontier area near the Israeli border, and for the Lebanese army to station there.