The massacre of 12 Druze children and dozens of wounded in Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights required a powerful response from Israel, following months of a war of attrition waged by Hezbollah against northern Israel, without any provocation from Israel, in solidarity and support for the brutal war initiated by Hamas in Gaza.
In this context, it should be emphasized that the “serious concerns” of the international community about the possibility of war against Lebanon, with the potential for regional war, has not led it to any significant steps to stop Hezbollah’s aggression, despite the organization’s violations of 2006 UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
The Israeli response was a targeted assassination of the highest-ranking military figure in Hezbollah to date, Fuad Shukr, a member of the organization’s Military Jihad Council. According to Israeli sources, he was personally responsible for the massacre of the children in Majdal Shams and is also responsible for Hezbollah’s strategic precision missile project.
The assassination was carried out from the air in the Dahiya district, Hezbollah’s stronghold in the heart of Beirut. It should be noted that in recent days, there have been reports that the United States demanded/requested that Israel not attack major cities in Lebanon, certainly not in the heart of Beirut.
In my opinion, the Israeli decision to attack specifically in Beirut was not only due to its symbolism, but by choosing the target, Fuad Shukr, it tied both him and the organization as instigators of terrorism against the United States, due to his involvement in the severe attack on American Marines in Beirut in 1983.
Personally, I think Shukr should have been eliminated a few months ago in a quiet operation without an Israeli signature. The target of the response to the massacre of the children of Majdal Shams should have been a significant attack on one of Hezbollah’s strategic military sites, to be visible in Lebanon and the entire Arab world, similar to what Israel did against the Yemeni port of Hodeida a few weeks ago, as retaliation for the Houthis’ continues aggression, by air and by sea, against Israel.
Less than 24 hours later, the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran was reported. It is significant and symbolic that the assassination was carried out in Tehran and its timing, close to the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian president. A few hours before his assassination, likely at a secure facility of the Revolutionary Guards, Haniyeh met personally with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. This certainly embarrasses the Iranian regime.
At this early stage of events, I assess that the response to both incidents will be limited, as none of the parties are interested in a full-scale war. The Iranians also need to prove that Israel, which did not take responsibility for Haniyeh’s assassination, is behind the attack in Tehran. It will be interesting to see what the reaction of Turkish President Erdogan, Haniyeh’s friend, will be.
It should also be emphasized the statement of General Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, that the United States will help Israel defend itself if a full-scale war breaks out with Lebanon. Not coincidentally, it was reported that the U.S. naval battle group in the Persian Gulf had improved its positions.

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