TEL AVIV, July 31. /TASS/. Withdrawing the Hezbollah movement’s armed units from the border with Israel based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 is the only way to prevent "an all-out war," Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a letter to dozens other top diplomats.

"Only the immediate implementation of Resolution 1701 will prevent an all-out war," the Ynet media outlet quoted the letter as saying. The top Israeli diplomat added that "yesterday (on July 30 - TASS), Israel eliminated [Fuad] Shukr (a senior Hezbolalh commander - TASS) in Beirut for killing numerous Israeli nationals." "The message is clear: those who cause us harm, will get an even tougher response," Katz added.

Earlier, the Israeli army said that a strike had been carried out on the Lebanese capital of Beirut. The military confirmed that the precision operation had killed Shukr, who Israel believes was the right-hand man of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrullah, in charge of strategic issues, including missile weapons.

Israel claims that Fuad Shukr bears direct responsibility for the July 27 strike on the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Israel-controlled Golan Heights. According to the Israeli military, one of the rockets fired from southern Lebanon exploded on a football pitch, killing 12 children and leaving about 30 people wounded. The Israeli authorities put the blame on Lebanon and Hezbollah, vowing a tough response. However, Hezbollah denied involvement in the attack.