Israel announced it had killed Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s chief of staff, in a precision strike on a residential building in Beirut’s Dahieh district early Sunday, marking the first attack on the capital in more than five months and threatening to unravel a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said five people were killed and 28 wounded after missiles hit the upper floors of a 10-story apartment block in Haret Hreik, a Hezbollah stronghold. Rescue crews worked through debris as residents fled the area. Hezbollah confirmed Tabatabai’s death, calling him a senior commander who oversaw operations in Syria and Yemen and helped rebuild its military structure. The U.S. had sanctioned him in 2016 and offered a $5 million reward for his capture.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the strike a “clear message,” accusing Hezbollah of violating the truce by rearming. The IDF described Tabatabai as central to Hezbollah’s command structure and its post-war resurgence.Hezbollah condemned the strike as a red line, with spokesperson Mahmoud Qmati warning it “opens the door to escalation.” The incident comes days before Pope Leo XIV’s planned visit to Lebanon.