Israel carried out an airstrike targeting one of Hezbollah’s highest-ranking military commanders in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday, significantly heightening tensions with the group nearly a year after a ceasefire ended 14 months of conflict.
The Israeli military announced several hours after the strike that Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s chief of staff, was killed in the attack in the Lebanese capital. Lebanon’s health ministry reported at least five fatalities and 28 injuries, while the national news agency confirmed that three missiles hit the building.
Hezbollah later confirmed the death of “the great commander” Tabatabai in what it called “a treacherous Israeli attack” in Beirut’s Haret Hreik neighborhood, a Hezbollah stronghold, though it did not detail his official role. Videos showed damaged buildings in the densely populated area.
Hezbollah’s Military Chief in Beirut Airstrike
This month, Israel intensified airstrikes in southern Lebanon, aiming to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its military capabilities in the hills just north of the unofficial border. Israel Assassinated Hezbollah’s Military Chief in Beirut Airstrike. The Israeli campaign also seeks to pressure Lebanese authorities and the army to accelerate efforts to disarm Hezbollah, a key condition of last year’s ceasefire accord.
Before the strike, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured his cabinet that Israel would continue to combat “terrorism” on multiple fronts. He vowed to take all necessary actions to prevent Hezbollah from regaining the ability to threaten Israel. After the attack, his office declared the strike targeted Hezbollah’s chief of staff who was overseeing the group’s military buildup and rearmament, emphasizing Israel’s resolve to pursue its objectives at all times and places.
Despite the operation, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated it remains committed to the ceasefire. A senior U.S. official told Axios that Israel did not notify Washington in advance but informed the Trump administration immediately after the strike. Another official noted that the U.S. had known for days about Israel’s plans to escalate military actions in Lebanon.
Tabatabai, 58, joined Hezbollah as a teenager shortly after its founding in the early 1980s. He survived a previous Israeli assassination attempt in 2015. The U.S. sanctioned him in 2016, identifying him as the commander of Hezbollah’s special forces in Syria and Yemen and offering up to $5 million for information leading to his capture.
Israeli Airstrike
He led elite Hezbollah fighters supporting Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria and is believed to have trained Houthi forces in Yemen. Both groups maintain close ties with Iran.
During the 2023-24 war, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, Tabatabai evaded Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah’s senior leadership. However, a September 2024 Israeli airstrike killed Hezbollah’s veteran leader Hassan Nasrallah, and by the ceasefire weeks later, most of Hezbollah’s military leadership had been eliminated.
Hezbollah claims it has complied with the ceasefire’s conditions to end its military presence near the Israel-Lebanon border, with the Lebanese army deploying in the area.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the international community to intervene decisively to stop the Israeli attacks on Lebanon. He reiterated Lebanon’s appeal for responsible and serious international action to protect the country and its people.
Israel’s Haaretz newspaper recently indicated that the immediate flashpoint has shifted from Gaza to Lebanon. Israel Assassinated Hezbollah’s Military Chief in Beirut Airstrike. Meanwhile, Amit Segal, a journalist close to Netanyahu’s government, expressed that a significant escalation against Hezbollah appears more likely than not.
Source: theguardian.com
