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The Israeli military reportedly targeted the chief of staff of Lebanon's Iran-backed group the Hezbollah organization in a strike on the capital's southern suburbs, as stated by the Israeli prime minister's office on Sunday.

This was the first strike in several months on the southern district of the capital city, an area renowned for hosting officials from the group.

Target Identified as Ali Tabtabai

The target of the operation was the military official the Hezbollah chief of staff, per an Israeli source knowledgeable of the incident and a security official in Lebanon. The prime minister's office did not confirm whether the official was fatally wounded.

US Notification Particulars

A senior US official revealed that Israel did not notify the US administration prior about the operation, as mentioned in a social media post.

The official clarified that the US government was alerted immediately after the strike, and a another American official mentioned that the United States had been aware for days that Israeli forces was intending to increase strikes in Lebanon.

Background on the Military Leader

The US imposed restrictions on Tabtabai in 2016, identifying him as a prominent military figure in the group and offering a reward of up to $5m for intel on him.

Attack Details and Consequences

The blast struck a primary street in Beirut's southern suburbs, where inhabitants mentioned noticing the roar of warplanes before the detonation.

Residents rushed out of their homes out of fear of further strikes, as stated by a correspondent in the region.

At least two individuals were killed and several dozen were hurt and rushed to medical facilities in the vicinity, per hospital staff.

There was no prompt response from Hezbollah.

Ongoing Israeli Campaign

Attacks by Israel on the Lebanese faction over the past couple of years have taken the lives of its former leader Hassan Nasrallah, a large portion of the senior military leadership and about 5,000 fighters.

Comments from Israeli Leadership

The prime minister informed his cabinet on the morning of the incident before the strike that the country would carry on to confront “terrorism” on several fronts.

“We will continue to do everything needed to hinder Hezbollah from restoring its capability to threaten us,” he said.

Wider Situation

Israeli forces has stepped up bombing raids in south Lebanon, advancing a operation of frequent strikes that it states is designed to prevent a rebuilding of capabilities by the faction in the frontier region.

Israel has alleged Hezbollah of seeking to restock weapons since a American-endorsed peace agreement last year.

The faction asserts it has followed stipulations for it to end its military presence in the frontier area near Israel, and for the national army to station there.