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The Israeli military allegedly targeted the chief of staff of Lebanon's Iran-backed group Hezbollah in a strike on Beirut's southern district, according to the office of the Israeli PM on Sunday.

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

Target Named as Ali Tabtabai

The objective of the attack was the military official the Hezbollah chief of staff, according to an source from Israel informed about the strike and a Lebanese security source. The prime minister's office did not state whether the official was fatally wounded.

American Notification Particulars

A high-ranking American official indicated that Israeli authorities did not alert Washington beforehand about the strike, as mentioned in a online report.

The authority clarified that the US government was notified right after the incident, and a another American official said that the US had known for days that Israeli forces was planning to intensify strikes in the country.

History on the Target

The US imposed restrictions on the Hezbollah official in 2016, identifying him as a key military figure in the group and announcing a reward of up to $5m for details on him.

Strike Details and Aftermath

The strike struck a central avenue in Beirut's southern area, where locals mentioned detecting the sound of warplanes before the detonation.

Civilians fled out of their homes out of fear of further strikes, as stated by a journalist in the area.

No fewer than two individuals were fatally wounded and two dozen were wounded and taken to medical facilities in the region, as reported by medical sources.

There was no immediate comment from the organization.

Recent Israeli Campaign

Attacks by Israel on the Lebanese faction over the last two years have taken the lives of its ex-head Hassan Nasrallah, a significant part of the group's top military brass and about thousands of militants.

Comments from Prime Minister

The Israeli leader told his government ministers on the morning of the incident before the strike that Israel would persist to confront “terrorism” on various arenas.

“We shall carry on to do whatever is necessary to hinder the group from restoring its capacity to threaten us,” he said.

Broader Context

Israeli forces has stepped up air attacks in south Lebanon, advancing a campaign of regular assaults that it says is designed to prevent a military revival by the faction in the boundary zone.

Israel has alleged Hezbollah of attempting to restock weapons since a US-backed ceasefire the previous year.

The group asserts it has abided by stipulations for it to cease its military presence in the border region near the Israeli border, and for the Lebanese army to deploy there.