Hezbollah has confirmed the death of Haytham Ali Tabatabai, its senior military leader, following an Israeli air raid in Beirut. The strike targeted an apartment building in Dahiyeh, the group’s stronghold in southern Beirut, resulting in the deaths of at least five others.
Hezbollah described Tabatabai as “the great commander” who was killed in “a treacherous Israeli attack” in the Haret Hreik area. While the organization did not specify his exact position, he was known to be the chief of staff of Hezbollah’s armed forces.
Israeli officials stated they had “eliminated” Tabatabai in the strike, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed he was the intended target. Israeli media reports indicated that this was the military’s third attempt to assassinate him since the conflict that began the previous year.
Mahmoud Qmati, a senior Hezbollah figure, warned that Israel had crossed a significant “red line” and mentioned that the leadership was evaluating potential responses. He stated, “The strike on the southern suburbs today opens the door to an escalation of assaults all over Lebanon.”
Born in 1968 in Beirut to a Lebanese mother and an Iranian father, Tabatabai joined Hezbollah at the age of 12. The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health reported that the Israeli raid resulted in injuries to 28 people. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that two missiles struck the residential building on al-Arid Street in Haret Hreik, causing extensive damage to nearby vehicles and structures.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun called for immediate international intervention to cease Israeli attacks. He reiterated Lebanon’s demand for the international community to take serious action to protect its people.
The killing of Tabatabai represents the highest-ranking assassination of a Hezbollah member by Israel since the November 2024 ceasefire, which aimed to resolve over a year of confrontations. This incident occurred just days before Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit Lebanon, amidst a surge in Israeli aggression in the region.
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