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Israeli forces allegedly targeted the chief of staff of the Lebanese Iran-backed faction Hezbollah in a airstrike on the capital's southern suburbs, according to the Israeli prime minister's office on Sunday.

This was the first strike in several months on the southern district of the Lebanese capital, an region renowned for housing officials from the group.

Objective Named as Military Leader

The objective of the strike was the army leader the Hezbollah chief of staff, per an Israeli source briefed on the strike and a Lebanese security source. The prime minister's office did not state whether Tabtabai was fatally wounded.

American Alert Details

A senior US official stated that Israeli authorities did not notify the US administration prior about the airstrike, as mentioned in a online report.

The authority clarified that the administration was notified following the strike, and a another American official said that the US had known for several days that Israel was planning to increase strikes in Lebanon.

History on the Target

The United States levied penalties on the Hezbollah official in 2016, labeling him as a prominent Hezbollah military leader and announcing a bounty of up to five million dollars for intel on him.

Strike Details and Consequences

The airstrike hit a central avenue in Beirut's southern area, where locals mentioned detecting the roar of jets before the blast.

People rushed out of their apartment buildings out of fear of further strikes, according to a correspondent in the zone.

No fewer than two people were fatally wounded and approximately 24 were injured and taken to hospitals in the area, according to health officials.

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.

Recent Israel's Operations

Attacks by Israel on the Lebanese faction over the recent period have killed its ex-head Hassan Nasrallah, a large portion of the senior military leadership and about thousands of militants.

Comments from Israeli Leadership

The prime minister informed his government ministers on the morning of the incident before the strike that the country would persist to combat “terrorism” on several fronts.

“We will continue to do whatever is necessary to prevent the group from restoring its capability to endanger our security,” he said.

Broader Context

Israel has escalated airstrikes in south Lebanon, pressing a operation of frequent strikes that it claims is aimed to hinder a rebuilding of capabilities by Hezbollah in the frontier region.

Israeli authorities has accused Hezbollah of attempting to rearm since a truce supported by the US recently.

The group says it has complied with conditions for it to end its armed deployment in the frontier area near the Israeli border, and for the military forces to station there.