Hezbollah Chief of Staff Killed in Israeli Strike on Beirut: A New Red Line Crossed
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Israel has confirmed that its forces have killed Haytham Ali Tabatabai, the chief of staff of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, in a strike on the densely populated Haret Hreik neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs. The strike, which occurred on Sunday, also killed four others and wounded 28 people, according to Lebanon's health ministry. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Tabatabai's death on social media, stating that he was 'ELIMINATED' in the strike. Tabatabai, a veteran Hezbollah operative since the 1980s, was a key figure in the group's military operations, having commanded the Radwan Force and led Hezbollah's efforts in Syria. Hezbollah has condemned the strike, saying that it 'crosses a new red line'. The group's officials have confirmed that a senior commander was targeted, but the results of the strike are still unknown. This latest strike comes just days before Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit Lebanon on his first foreign trip, and amid ongoing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. The United States had designated Tabatabai as a terrorist in 2016, offering a $5 million reward for information about him. Israel has carried out regular strikes in Lebanon since a November 2024 ceasefire aimed at ending over a year of hostilities with Hezbollah. The strikes have targeted Hezbollah members and infrastructure in the country's south and east.
