BEIRUT: Israel conducted an airstrike on a southern suburb of Beirut on Sunday, killing Hezbollah’s acting chief of staff, Ali Tabtabai, in what the Israeli military described as a preemptive move against the group’s military capabilities. The attack came despite a U.S.-brokered truce between Israel and Hezbollah a year ago.
Read More: Israel claims killing Hezbollah military leader in Beirut strike
The strike targeted a multi-storey building in the Haret Hreik suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold, killing five people and injuring 28, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Debris from the destroyed building crashed onto nearby cars, and residents fled their homes fearing additional attacks.
#BREAKING | The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed a precision airstrike on a residential apartment in the Dahiyeh, the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut, targeting Haytham Ali Tabatabai, identified as Hezbollah’s acting chief of staff and a key military operative pic.twitter.com/PIOUjhWz2E
— The Global Eye (@TGEThGlobalEye) November 23, 2025
Hezbollah confirmed Tabtabai’s death, calling him “the great jihadist commander” who had “worked to confront Israeli enemy until the last moment of his blessed life.” Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qmati described the strike as a “red line” and said the group’s leadership would decide on how to respond.
Read More: Israel says top Hezbollah commander killed in Lebanon strike
The Israeli military stated that Tabtabai “commanded most of Hezbollah’s units and worked hard to restore them to readiness for war with Israel.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address that Israel would not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its forces and urged the Lebanese government to disarm the group.
BREAKING: In a major escalation, Israeli warplanes launch an airstrike targeting the Dahieh district of the Lebanese capital Beirut. pic.twitter.com/EupyvjZjbD
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) November 23, 2025
Tabtabai had been sanctioned by the United States in 2016 and was considered a key Hezbollah leader, with a $5 million reward offered for information leading to his capture. The airstrike is the first on Beirut’s outskirts in months and is likely to escalate tensions in the region, raising concerns about a potential retaliation from Hezbollah.
Read More: Israeli drone strike in Lebanon kills Senior Hezbollah official
Analysts warn that the incident could strain the fragile security situation in Lebanon and destabilize the broader Middle East, highlighting the continuing volatility of Israel-Hezbollah relations even after formal truces.
BREAKING: Amid fragile ceasefire violations, Israel launches rare Beirut airstrike, eliminating Hezbollah’s acting military chief Ali Tabtabai—the US-wanted ($5M bounty) commander of elite Radwan Force who led post-2024 rearmament from Syria to Yemen.
• Post-Nasrallah… pic.twitter.com/dyCRjU7iPl
— Breaking News (@TheNewsTrending) November 23, 2025