Israel says it struck Beirut after an attack in Israeli-controlled Golan Heights

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A view of buildings shows damage after what security sources said was a strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, on Tuesday. / Reuters

BEIRUT, Lebanon, and TEL AVIV, Israel — A large explosion ripped through the streets of southern Beirut on Tuesday evening. A short while later, Israel claimed responsibility for what it called a “targeted strike.”

The Israeli military said it targeted a Hezbollah commander whom it blamed for a rocket strike that killed 12 children and left several people wounded on Saturday in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. The Iran-backed militia group has denied that it was involved in that attack.

Close to the location of Tuesday's strike in Beirut, police closed off the roads and an ambulance wailed its way to the area. People were shouting, “My family was inside, my family is inside!” as they ran toward the explosion.

Lebanon's state media reported that a building collapsed in the southern suburbs after “an enemy attack.” Hezbollah has not commented.

An Israeli official told NPR that the Hezbollah commander who was targeted is named Fouad Shukr. The Israeli official was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.

When NPR asked whether the target was killed in the strike, the Israeli official said: “TBD.”

Israel had made it clear that it would retaliate for Saturday's rocket attack it blamed on Hezbollah. "Hezbollah crossed the red line," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant wrote on X Tuesday.

The strike came as the international community has been urging restraint from both sides, fearing that an escalation on the Israel-Lebanon border could spark an all-out war.

The United States says Israel has a right to defend itself against threats from Hezbollah, while diplomacy is also needed to resolve conflicts in the region.

“Israel has a right to defend itself and I unequivocally support Israel's right to remain secure and to defend the security of Israel,” Vice President Harris said after landing in Atlanta for an election campaign trip.

“What we know in particular is it has a right to defend itself against a terrorist organization, which is exactly what Hezbollah is. But all of that being said, we still must work on a diplomatic solution to end these attacks and we will continue to do that work,” she said.

On Monday, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters, "We don't want to see the war escalate" and "to see a second front" open up between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. “What we want to do and what we're still focused on is finding a diplomatic solution here to reduce the tensions,” he said.

U.S. diplomats believe the best way to defuse the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict is to reach a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.

Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire since the war in Gaza began on Oct. 7 of last year, after the Hamas-led attack on Israel. The Israel-Hezbollah fighting has largely remained confined to targets near the border.

In January, Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri was killed in a strike that was widely blamed on Israel, but that the Israeli military did not confirm or deny.

Kat Lonsdorf and Hadeel Al-Shalchi reported from Tel Aviv, Israel; Jane Arraf and Jawad Rizkallah reported from Beirut.