The Israeli military says it has killed a second Hezbollah leader in its first airstrike in months south of Beirut.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called Hezbollah’s chief of staff, Haytham Ali Tabatabai, “a key operative and veteran of the terrorist organization.”
“The attack was aimed at preventing the organization from further strengthening its capabilities and delivering a targeted blow to those who seek to harm the State of Israel,” Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff, said in a statement after the attack.
In a statement on Sunday, Hezbollah said Tabatabai’s killing was a “treacherous attack by Israel” on the Haret Lake area on the southern outskirts of Beirut.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, five people were killed and 28 injured in the attack.
Images from the scene showed smoke coming from the fourth or fifth floor of an apartment building in a crowded area in southern Beirut.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the Israel Defense Forces had attacked “the center of Beirut, targeting Hezbollah’s chief of staff, who led the organization’s buildup and military buildup.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered the attack on the recommendation of the defense minister and the IDF chief of staff, his office said in a statement.
“We will continue to act strongly to prevent any threat to the people of the north and the state of Israel,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said, adding: “Anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have his hand cut off.”
The last attack the IDF acknowledged carrying out in the Lebanese capital Beirut occurred in early June, when Israel said it targeted Hezbollah’s underground drone manufacturing facility. Since then, Israel has refrained from attacking Beirut, despite frequent attacks in southern Lebanon, a Hezbollah stronghold.
An Israeli attack on southern Beirut in September 2024 killed Hezbollah’s longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, leaving a vacuum in the group’s military leadership. Israel also blew up pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members, killing dozens.
A ceasefire was agreed a year ago through US mediation, but Israeli forces continue to attack Hezbollah infrastructure and fighters in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.
The United States designated Tabatabai a terrorist in 2016, saying he was a key leader in Hezbollah’s forces “who has commanded the group’s special forces in both Syria and Yemen.”
The U.S. Rewards for Justice program has offered up to $5 million for information about Tabatabai.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Hezbollah is to hand over heavy weapons and withdraw all personnel from south of the Litani River.
There has been little progress on disarmament, and Israeli officials have warned of increased military action unless the Lebanese government moves to rein in Hezbollah.
Earlier this month, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Israel of “failing to demonstrate its rejection of any negotiated settlement between the two countries.”
