Israel’s military has carried out an air strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, killing a senior Hezbollah commander, Haitham Ali al-Tabtabai, despite an existing ceasefire.
The Israeli military described Tabtabai, Hezbollah’s chief of staff, as a seasoned veteran who had held several senior roles within the group.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported that the strike, which struck an apartment building in the densely populated Dahieh district, left at least five dead and 28 wounded.
Hezbollah confirmed Tabtabai’s death and condemned the strike, saying Israel had crossed a “red line.”
This marks Israel’s first military operation in southern Beirut in several months.
The attack comes amid Israel’s intensified campaign against individuals and targets it says are tied to Hezbollah, a Shia Muslim group backed by Iran.
The campaign continues despite a US- and France-brokered ceasefire that has been in effect since last November.
Israeli officials have accused Hezbollah of attempting to rebuild its military strength, smuggling weapons into Lebanon, and boosting the production of explosive drones as alternatives to rockets and missiles, raising fears of a renewed escalation.
In the aftermath of the strike, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “Under my leadership, the State of Israel will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its power, and we will not allow it to once again pose a threat to the State of Israel.”
He also urged the Lebanese government “to fulfill its commitment to disarm Hezbollah.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the international community to pressure Israel to halt its attacks and withdraw from the country, describing the strikes as a breach of the agreement that ended 13 months of conflict.
While the Lebanese government has promised to disarm Hezbollah, the group has rejected any discussion of its weapons unless Israel stops its attacks, fully withdraws, and releases Lebanese prisoners.
A Western diplomatic official, speaking anonymously, told the BBC that Lebanese authorities are under pressure from the Trump administration, which is reportedly frustrated with what it sees as slow progress against Hezbollah, considered a terrorist organization by the US and UK.
The renewed tensions between Israel and Hezbollah follow rocket fire from the Lebanese group at Israeli positions, which occurred in the aftermath of Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023. Hezbollah said it was acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
During that conflict, Lebanese authorities reported around 4,000 fatalities in Lebanon, many of them civilians, and over 1.2 million people were displaced. Israel reported more than 80 soldiers and 47 civilians killed.
Tabtabai had previously been sanctioned by the US in 2016 and designated a terrorist, with a $5 million (£3.8m) reward offered for information on him.
The US described him as a key Hezbollah military figure who once commanded the group’s special forces in Syria and Yemen, noting that his activities were part of Hezbollah’s broader efforts to provide training, resources, and personnel “in support of its destabilising regional activities.”
