“Rescue crews have been working to remove building debris since the incident occurred, and we are still awaiting the results of this operation with regard to the fate of the great commander and the others who were in the building,” the group said in a statement on Wednesday.
They cannot confirm whether Shukr is alive or was killed in the attack. Lebanon’s Ministry of Health says a preliminary overview shows that three civilians – a woman and two children – were killed in the attack on a suburb of the Lebanese capital.
Blamed for Golan attack
Israel’s military (IDF) claimed on Tuesday evening that it had killed Shukr, who it believes was in charge of Hezbollah’s operations and was responsible for the attack on the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday.
Hezbollah denies claims that it was involved in the attack, which killed twelve children and young people between the ages of 10 and 20. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that there would be a harsh response to the attack on the Golan Heights.
The leader’s right hand
According to the IDF, Shukr was Hezbollah’s most senior commander and leader Hassan Nasrallah’s right-hand man.
The US Treasury also referred to him as a high-ranking adviser when in 2017 they offered a reward of 5 million dollars for information about Shukr. They say he played a central role in the bombing of an American military installation in Beirut in 1983.
Hundreds killed
Since the start of the Gaza war last October, the IDF and Hamas ally Hezbollah have been shelling each other across the border between Israel and Lebanon.
According to a count made by the AFP news agency, at least 534 people have been killed on the Lebanese side, mainly Hezbollah fighters, but also 108 civilians. On the Israeli side, including on the Golan Heights, at least 22 soldiers and 25 civilians have been killed, according to figures from the IDF.
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2024-07-31 13:08:00
