IDF Hits Targets in Beirut, Aiming at Takedown of Hezbollah Commander Behind Soccer Field Attack

By Ward Clark | 2:19 PM on July 30, 2024

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Tuesday that they had carried out a strike in Beirut aimed at taking out the Hezbollah commander who ordered the rocket attack that struck a soccer field in the Golan Heights during a game. As of this writing, it is not clear whether if the commander was among the casualties.

The Israel Defense Forces announced that they carried out a strike in Beirut on Thursday targeting the commander accused of orchestrating the recent attack on a children's soccer field.
In post on X, the IDF said that its forces "carried out a targeted strike in Beirut, on the commander responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and the killing of numerous additional Israeli civilians."

There is a very real possibility that this attack could set the stage for a broader conflict.

Death Toll Climbs to 12 in Hezbollah Missile Strike on Golan Heights, Officials Worry of Wider War

The attack on the soccer field in the Golan Heights resulted in 12 deaths, mostly children and teens. On Saturday, here at RedState, Bob Hoge reported:

The Iranian-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah launched a rocket attack on a soccer field in Israel-controlled Golan Heights Saturday, killing at least 12, mostly children.
American and Israeli officials are concerned that the horrific assault could lead to a wider war in the region.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz discussed the deadly attack with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and declared that “Hezbollah crossed all red lines” and the Jewish state was now “facing an all-out war” with the Lebanese terrorists.
“I have no doubt that we’ll pay a cost,” Katz said, adding Hezbollah will pay a higher toll for its actions.

The bill would seem to be coming due. Netanyahu's statement that Hezbollah "crossed all red lines" is indicative of the Israeli Prime Minister's willingness to increasingly take the fight to the enemy. At this juncture, it's unclear as to whether Israel's actions will be limited to air and rocket attacks or whether the IDF will stage an invasion of Lebanon; they have done so in Gaza, but Lebanon is quite a different tactical and strategic kettle of fish.