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Israel said it killed Hezbollah’s de facto chief of staff in an airstrike outside of Lebanon’s capital, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning that more attacks would come as necessary.
The airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs, the first in months, took out Haytham Ali Tabatabi, the Hezbollah chief who was allegedly building up the terror group’s forces in a clear violation of last year’s cease-fire deal, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
“A short while ago, the IDF struck, in the heart of Beirut, the Hezbollah chief of staff who led the organization’s military buildup and armament efforts,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
“Israel is determined to act to achieve its goals, in any place and at any time,” the officials added.
The Israeli strike in the Lebanese capital killed at least two people, with another two dozen injured, medical sources told Reuters.
Tabatabi was sanctioned by the US in 2016, with a reward offering of up to $5 million for information on him.
He was considered the Iran-backed terror group’s second in command, behind Secretary-General Naim Qassem, according to the Times of Israel.
The US, which helped secure the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah last November, was not told about the airstrike ahead of time, according to multiple reports.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who green-lit Sunday’s strike, said the IDF would not allow Hezbollah to return to being a threat against the Jewish state following the 2024 war, which left the terror group battered.
“We will continue to act forcefully to prevent any threat to the residents of the north and the State of Israel,” Katz said in a statement.
Netanyahu reiterated his stance hours before the airstrike, vowing that Israel would do “whatever is necessary to prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing its ability to threaten us.”
The strikes in Lebanon come nearly a year after Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a cease-fire deal which would see the terror group disarm and exit southern Lebanon after losing its main leaders and around 5,000 fighters.
Israel, however, has carried out strikes in Lebanon since then, accusing the group of continuing to operate in the south and stalling the demilitarization process.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who is working with international forces to uphold the terms of the fragile cease-fire, condemned Israel’s strike in the capital.
Aoun called on the international community to intervene and stop any more attacks from happening as residents in the capital fear a return to the daily bombardments of last year’s war.
With Post wires
