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Israeli forces reportedly targeted the top military official of the Lebanese Iran-aligned faction Hezbollah in a strike on the capital's southern district, as stated by the office of the Israeli PM on Sunday.

This represented the initial airstrike in months on the southern district of the Lebanese capital, an area recognized for hosting officials from the group.

Target Identified as Ali Tabtabai

The focus of the operation was the military official the Hezbollah chief of staff, as reported by an Israeli source knowledgeable of the incident and a Lebanese security source. The prime minister's office did not state whether the official was killed.

American Notification Details

A high-ranking American official stated that Israeli authorities failed to inform Washington beforehand about the operation, as mentioned in a online report.

The authority noted that the US government was informed following the strike, and a another American official stated that the US had been aware for days that Israeli forces was planning to escalate operations in Lebanon.

History on the Target

The US enforced penalties on Tabtabai in recent years, labeling him as a key Hezbollah military leader and offering a bounty of up to $5m for information on him.

Strike Particulars and Aftermath

The airstrike struck a primary street in the capital's southern suburbs, where residents stated noticing the sound of aircraft before the explosion.

People fled out of their homes out of fear of additional attacks, per a reporter in the region.

No fewer than two individuals were fatally wounded and several dozen were hurt and transported to clinics in the region, per hospital staff.

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.

Recent Israeli Operations

Attacks by Israel on Hezbollah over the past couple of years have eliminated its previous chief the group's past leader, a significant part of the group's top military brass and about 5,000 fighters.

Comments from Israeli Leadership

The prime minister informed his cabinet on Sunday morning before the attack that the country would carry on to confront “militant activities” on multiple fronts.

“We shall carry on to do all that is required to stop the group from restoring its ability to pose a danger to us,” he stated.

Broader Context

Israel has stepped up air attacks in southern Lebanon, pressing a initiative of near-daily attacks that it states is aimed to block a military revival by Hezbollah in the frontier region.

Israel has alleged the group of seeking to rearm since a truce supported by the US recently.

The faction asserts it has followed conditions for it to terminate its troop placement in the boundary zone near the Israeli border, and for the national army to station there.