On Sunday evening, Israel reported the elimination of Haytham Tabtabai, believed to be Hezbollah’s chief of staff, in an operation targeting the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
According to local authorities, the assault in the southern suburbs resulted in five fatalities and 25 injuries. This marked the inaugural Israeli strike in Beirut since June.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated, “We will persist in taking decisive action to avert any threat to the inhabitants of the north and the state of Israel.”
Hezbollah had stated that a high-ranking individual was likely killed in the assault, without offering any information.
The leadership of Hezbollah is evaluating the matter of the response and will render a suitable conclusion. Mahmoud Qamati, deputy head of Hezbollah’s political council, stated from the scene, “Today’s assault in the southern suburbs paves the way for an escalation of attacks throughout Lebanon.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun denounced the bombing on Sunday and accused Israel of neglecting to uphold the truce accord. He urged the international community to “intervene decisively and earnestly to halt the assaults on Lebanon and its populace.”
Commander of the Elite force Tabtabai had directed Hezbollah’s distinguished Radwan force.
He was seen as the successor to Ibrahim Akil, who was assassinated in September 2024 during Israeli strikes that decimated a significant portion of Hezbollah’s senior leadership, including the longstanding leader Hassan Nasrallah.
The Israeli military stated that he “commanded the majority of Hezbollah’s units and exerted considerable effort to restore their preparedness for conflict with Israel.”
The Israeli foreign ministry stated that his death occurred following many ceasefire breaches by Hezbollah.
This text was translated using artificial intelligence and subsequently reviewed by our editorial team. Report an issue: [feedback-articles-en@euronews.com].
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