The killing of Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s chief of staff, in an Israeli air strike on Beirut has heightened fears of a wider confrontation across Lebanon. The strike, which hit an apartment block in the crowded Haret Hreik district on Sunday, left at least five people dead and more than two dozen wounded, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health. Tabatabai’s death marks the highest-ranking loss for the group since the November 2024 ceasefire, raising questions about the future of the uneasy truce and the trajectory of regional tensions.
Israel confirmed that Tabatabai was the intended target, describing him as a central figure in Hezbollah’s military structure and its efforts to rebuild after last year’s war. Israeli officials said this was their third attempt to kill him since that conflict. Lebanese media reported that two missiles hit the building, causing widespread damage to nearby vehicles and structures.
In its statement, Hezbollah called Tabatabai a “great commander” and said he was killed in what it described as a treacherous attack on a civilian area. While the group did not immediately outline its plans, senior figure Mahmoud Qmati warned that the strike “opens the door to an escalation of assaults all over Lebanon.” Analysts say Hezbollah now faces a difficult balancing act: retaliate and risk triggering a broader Israeli campaign, or hold back and allow Israel to continue strikes with little pushback.
The broader environment in Lebanon is already tense. Israel has conducted frequent attacks across the country since the truce, hitting targets in the south and occasionally striking deeper into Beirut. Earlier in the week, an Israeli drone attack on the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp killed 13 people, drawing outrage from Lebanese officials. President Joseph Aoun again urged the international community to intervene and stop Israel’s ongoing operations, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire terms.
Tabatabai, born in Beirut in 1968 to a Lebanese mother and Iranian father, joined Hezbollah in the 1980s and rose through the organization’s military ranks. After the 2024 war, during which Israel killed longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah and several of his deputies, Tabatabai was elevated to top military chief and became a key member of the group’s Jihad Council. Lebanese and Western security sources say Israel is now targeting what it views as Hezbollah’s “next generation” of leaders after wiping out much of the previous hierarchy.
Residents of Haret Hreik described scenes of chaos after Sunday’s strike. Crowds gathered around the wreckage as emergency workers searched for survivors. Israeli drones reportedly circled above the area for hours afterward. Local Hezbollah officials insisted the neighborhood contained no military sites, calling the strike an attack on a civilian population.
As hundreds gathered for Tabatabai’s funeral on Monday, mourners chanted against Israel and the United States, vowing that Hezbollah would not disarm despite international pressure. With Pope Leo XIV set to visit Lebanon in the coming days and Israeli operations intensifying, many in the country fear that the fragile calm that followed last year’s war may be slipping away once more.
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