Israeli Strike on Beirut Apartment Block Claims Life of Hezbollah’s Second-in-Command

An Israeli airstrike on Beirut targeted Haytham Ali Tabatabai, the senior Hezbollah commander widely regarded as the group’s number two, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed. Tabatabai, considered Hezbollah’s de facto chief of staff after Secretary General Naim Qassem, was reported killed by the strike, which hit an apartment block in the southern Beirut district of Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold. At least five people died in the attack, and 28 others were wounded, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.

Hezbollah confirmed Tabatabai’s death, describing him as “the great commander” and condemning the strike as a “treacherous Israeli attack” in Haret Hreik. The group noted he was their most senior commander killed since the ceasefire took effect on November 27, 2024, which was intended to halt over a year of hostilities and required Hezbollah to withdraw its armed forces from southern Lebanon under UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

Senior Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qmati warned that Israel had crossed a “red line” and that the group’s leadership was weighing possible responses. He added that the attack could trigger a wider escalation of assaults across Lebanon.

Born in 1968 in Beirut to a Lebanese mother and an Iranian father, Tabatabai joined Hezbollah at the age of 12 and previously commanded the group’s special forces in Syria and Yemen. The U.S. had previously offered a million reward for information on him. Israel has increased its strikes on Hezbollah amid the group’s attempts to regroup and rebuild.

The Israeli strike fired two missiles at the apartment building on al-Arid Street, causing extensive damage to surrounding vehicles and structures, as reported by Lebanon’s National News Agency. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack, urging the international community to intervene decisively to halt the strikes.

This incident follows the Israeli assassination of long-time Hezbollah leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah in southern Beirut just over a year ago, signaling a continuing cycle of targeted strikes against the group’s top leadership.