Hezbollah's Top Military Leader Killed in Rare Post-Ceasefire Strike

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BEIRUT - In a surprise move, the Israeli military has killed Haytham Ali Tabtabai, Hezbollah's top military official, in a strike on the outskirts of Beirut. The operation comes despite a year-long ceasefire between the two nations. The Israeli military confirmed Tabtabai's death, and Hezbollah later hailed him as a 'great jihadist commander' who had dedicated his life to confronting the Israeli enemy. Although Israel had already eliminated most of Hezbollah's leadership during a devastating war between October 2023 and November 2024, Tabtabai's killing was a rare post-ceasefire operation targeting a senior Hezbollah figure. Tabtabai, born in Lebanon in 1968 to a Lebanese mother and Iranian father, rose through Hezbollah's ranks to become its chief of staff after the recent war with Israel. He was not a founding member of the group but was part of its second generation, deploying to fight alongside its allies in Syria and Yemen. According to the Israeli military, Tabtabai joined Hezbollah in the 1980s and held several senior positions, including in the elite Radwan Force. The Alma Center, a security research organization in Israel, noted that Tabtabai had survived previous Israeli attacks in Syria and Lebanon. After the ceasefire, Tabtabai was appointed chief of staff and focused on restoring Hezbollah's readiness for war with Israel. His swift promotion followed the elimination of other top Hezbollah officials. The Lebanese security source confirmed Tabtabai's rapid rise through the ranks as he took on key leadership roles.