An Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday killed Haytham Tabtabai, whom Israel identified as Hezbollah’s chief of staff, marking the first attack on Lebanon’s capital since June. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported five people killed and 25 wounded in Haret Hreik.
Israel said the strike targeted Tabtabai, who it described as the leader of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Unit and as the officer who ‘commanded most of Hezbollah’s units’ and worked to restore their readiness for war. The Israeli foreign ministry said the action followed what it called repeated Hezbollah violations of the ceasefire that ended last year’s conflict. Hezbollah had earlier warned the strike could spark an escalation.
Hezbollah did not immediately confirm the identity of those killed. Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told reporters a high-ranking militant may have been killed but gave no details, saying the group’s leadership was studying how to respond and adding that the attack ‘opens the door to an escalation of assaults all over Lebanon.’
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would continue to act forcefully to prevent threats to its north. Government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian declined to say whether Israel had informed the United States before the strike, saying only that ‘Israel makes decisions independently.’ Israel did not issue an evacuation warning prior to the strike, the military said.
Witnesses described smoke and damage in a busy Haret Hreik neighborhood. Video circulating on social media showed people at the site of an apparent strike on the fourth floor of an apartment building; gunfire was heard as emergency teams arrived. An Israeli drone was reported near the targeted building and the Lebanese military cordoned off the area. Residents quoted by local media rejected calls to disarm, saying the attack strengthened their resolve to keep weapons.
Tabtabai was designated a terrorist by the United States in 2016, accused of leading Hezbollah special forces operations in Syria and Yemen, and the U.S. has offered a reward for information. Israel has previously targeted senior Hezbollah commanders, including Ibrahim Aqil, who was killed in September 2024.
The strike comes amid heightened Israeli air activity over southern Lebanon and diplomatic pressure from Israel and the United States on Beirut to disarm Hezbollah, which both accuse of rebuilding capabilities along the border. The Lebanese government has approved a plan aimed at disarming the group but has denied that Hezbollah is rearming.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike, accused Israel of not honoring aspects of the ceasefire agreement and urged international intervention to stop attacks on Lebanon and its people. The Israeli military said it remained committed to the understandings agreed with Lebanon.
The most recent Israel-Hezbollah war began on Oct. 8, 2023, following Hamas’ attack on southern Israel and Hezbollah rocket fire in solidarity. That fighting and Israel’s subsequent operations severely damaged Hezbollah and caused heavy casualties and destruction in Lebanon; international assessments put Lebanese losses in the billions and report thousands killed across both sides in the broader 2023-24 period.
Separately, on Tuesday an Israeli strike on the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh near Sidon killed 13 people, the deadliest single attack since the ceasefire. The Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas military facility; Hamas denied having military infrastructure in the camp.
Kareem Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Megan Janetsky in Jerusalem contributed.