Shukr Assassination Highlights Israel's Brutal Aggression, Pushes Middle East Toward War

Israel’s desperation to escalate tensions throughout the Middle East ramped up even further today following the assassination of a Hezbollah commander, Fuad Shukr, in Beirut.

While Israel continues to seek ways to expand the war in the Middle East, the brutality of its actions reflects the insanity of its leadership and the belief it can act with impunity, knowing it has the US's support.

The assassination of Shukr comes soon after the slaughter of 12 innocent children last weekend in Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights – territory Israel illegally occupies. Israel says Shukr was responsible for the rocket attack that killed the 12 children. However, it’s difficult to be responsible for something Hezbollah had nothing to do with.

Furthermore, according to the IDF, Shukr was Hezbollah's most senior military commander, a prominent member of the group's Jihad Council, and a senior military advisor to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, responsible for managing the group's advanced weaponry and strategic operations.

But as the world has come to learn since October 7, because of social media – exposing Israel’s perpetual lies, its narrative about the Majdal Shams bombing is another lie. Hezbollah has consistently denied responsibility for the attack, with no credible evidence linking Shukr to the incident. Hezbollah has a long-standing policy of not attacking innocent civilians, particularly within the Arab communities.

Hezbollah is unlike the Israeli government, which justifies the killing of innocent people by deliberately attacking civilians. Israel consistently lies, and its assassination of Shukr is a convenient pretext to justify his extrajudicial killing and escalate tensions in the region.

In 2017, the US placed a $5m bounty on Shukr's head, accusing him of playing a central role in the 1983 bombing of the US Marine Corps barracks in Beirut. The US has not commented on the strike, which Israel says was in response to the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and other attacks on Israeli civilians. But as is often the case with Israel, its claims lack substantiation and serve to obscure the true motives behind the strike.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant texted on social media "Hezbollah crossed the red line," while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously warned of a severe response to the attacks attributed to Hezbollah, even though has denied any involvement.

International diplomats had assured Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib that Israel's response would be limited, hoping to avoid a full-scale conflict similar to the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. Despite the assurances, tensions remain high.

With the Lebanese public now gripped by anxiety, fearing a potential war, as Beirut's international airport has seen multiple airlines suspend flights in anticipation of Israeli retaliation, its national airline MEA fleets are now marooned in London. The exchange of cross-border fire in Northern Israel, continues to be framed by Hezbollah as being in solidarity with Hamas and the besieged population of Gaza.

Fuad Shukr’s assassination is another example of Israel's pattern of war crimes it carries out with impunity, under the protective umbrella of unwavering US support. The killing of Shukr is not an isolated case of military self-defence but a continuation of Israel's history of unilateral aggression, which has caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians and regional instability.

The labelling of Shukr’s assassination as a "targeted strike", bypasses international legal standards and due process, effectively amounting to state-sponsored murder. His murder undermines the principles of justice and accountability and sets a dangerous precedent that state actors, like Israel, can eliminate perceived threats without consequence.

The IDF's narrative that blames Hezbollah for the rocket attack on the soccer field in Majdal Shams is a lie. Hezbollah’s denial is consistent with its long-established practice of avoiding attacks on innocent civilians, particularly those within the Arab community. Furthermore, the IDF’s unsubstantiated claims are a strategic move to justify its criminality and demonise Hezbollah.

Israel's ongoing criminality, including the killing of Shukr, are designed to provoke a response from Hezbollah and escalate a regional war throughout the Middle East.

By goading Hezbollah into retaliation, Israel aims to create a pretext for further military action and draw the US into supporting it. It’s a tactic designed to not only destabilise the region but drag the US into another protracted conflict, serving Israel's strategic interests at the expense of broader regional stability.

The broader context of Israel's military actions reveals a pattern of behaviour characterised by a blatant disregard for sovereignty and human rights. The international community's muted response, typified by calls for restraint rather than outright condemnation, highlights a double standard that emboldens Israel to act without fear of repercussions.

Fuad Shukr’s assassination must be scrutinised not only for its implications but for what it represents geopolitically. It’s a manifestation of a long-standing policy where Israel, with the approval of the US, engages in outrageously terroristic behaviour that undermines peace and perpetuates a cycle of violence.

Unless Israel is held accountable by the international community, it will remain a terrorist state hellbent on terror and murder.

Referring to Hezbollah and Hamas terrorist organisations is comical when the very actor that continues to commit terror is Israel.