Israel-Lebanon conflict: IDF claims top Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr killed in rare strike in Beirut

"Fuad served as Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah's right-hand man and was Nasrallah's adviser for planning and directing wartime operations," IDF said in a statement.

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IDF said Fuad Shukr has directed Hezbollah's attacks on Israel since October 8th, and he was the commander responsible for the murder of the 12 children in Majdal Shams in northern Israel on Saturday evening, as well as the killing of numerous Israelis and foreign nationals over the years.

As the Head of Hezbollah's Strategic Unit, Fuad was responsible for the majority of Hezbollah's most advanced weaponry, including precise-guided missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, long-range rockets, and UAVs.

"He was responsible for force build-up, planning, and execution of terror attacks against the State of Israel," IDF said.

Who was Faud Shukr?

Fuad joined the Hezbollah terrorist organization in 1985 and has since held a number of senior positions.

As part of his role, he was a member of the Jihad Council - Hezbollah's most senior military forum.

In the 1990s, Fuad advanced numerous attacks against the IDF and the South Lebanon Army.

In 2000, he was directly involved in the abduction of the bodies of three IDF soldiers - SSGT Benyamin Avraham, SSGT Adi Avitan, and SSGT Omar Sawaid -who were killed by Hezbollah terrorists while patrolling the security fence adjacent to Har Dov. Since then, he has planned and directed numerous terror attacks against innocent civilians.