Israel targets senior Hezbollah commander in strike on Beirut: IDF

Israel has launched a strike on Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon, on Tuesday targeting a senior Hezbollah commander as tensions along Israel's northern border continue to escalate.

"The IDF targeted in Beirut the commander responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and killed many Israeli civilians," the Israel Defense Forces told ABC News in a statement.

"Hezbollah crossed the red line," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on social media.

In recent days, Hezbollah has said that any strike in Beirut would be met with a strong response of their own.

U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Pate said he didn't have "any updates on any specific activity that we're seeing" and did not say whether Israel had given the U.S. a heads-up about a potential retaliatory strike.

"We have been in continuous discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts since the incident over the weekend, and the United States is going to continue to support efforts to reach a diplomatic solution along the blue line," Pate said.

"Our support for Israel's security is ironclad, and it's unwavering, especially as it defends itself against Iran backed threats, including threats from Hezbollah," Pate told reporters.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.