(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Matthew Levitt - In response to the July 27 Hizbullah rocket attack that killed 12 children in Majdal Shams, Israel carried out a precision airstrike in Beirut on July 30 that targeted Hizbullah senior commander Fuad Shukr. His death removes one of the group's most capable military figures, who had the ear of both Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the top brass of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF). Fuad Shukr spent his entire adult life moving up Hizbullah's ranks as a terrorist operative, soldier, and commander. His targeting sends a stark message: if Hizbullah kills Israelis, then Israel will no longer be deterred from carrying out operations deep inside Lebanon, even against the group's leaders in Beirut. The writer is director of the Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at The Washington Institute.
2024-08-01 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive