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Israel kills Hezbollah's chief of staff in Beirut airstrike, risking ceasefire collapse
Israel's military assassinated Haitham Ali al-Tabtabai, Hezbollah's chief of staff, in an airstrike on Beirut's southern Dahieh district on Monday, marking the first such attack on the Lebanese capital in months despite an active US-French brokered ceasefire. Lebanon's health ministry reported at least five fatalities and 28 injuries after the strike hit a residential building in the densely populated Shia stronghold.
Hezbollah vows retaliation as Israel justifies 'preemptive' action
Hezbollah confirmed Tabtabai's death, condemning the strike as a violation of a "red line" and signaling potential retaliation. The group, backed by Iran, has been a central player in Lebanon's political and military landscape, resisting calls to disarm unless Israel withdraws from occupied Lebanese territories and halts its offensive operations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the strike, stating,
He demanded Lebanon's government disarm Hezbollah, a condition long rejected by the group unless Israel meets its own demands, including prisoner releases and full withdrawal from southern Lebanon."Under my leadership, the State of Israel will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its power, and we will not allow it to once again pose a threat to the State of Israel."
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister
Escalating tensions amid stalled ceasefire
The strike follows months of Israeli operations targeting Hezbollah's alleged efforts to rebuild its arsenal, including smuggling weapons and expanding production of explosive drones. Israel claims these activities violate the November 2024 ceasefire, which ended 13 months of cross-border clashes triggered by Hezbollah's rocket attacks in solidarity with Hamas after the October 7, 2023, Gaza assault.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged international intervention, accusing Israel of violating the truce by maintaining occupations in at least five southern Lebanese locations. The Lebanese government has pledged to disarm Hezbollah but faces internal resistance, with the group insisting Israel must first cease hostilities and withdraw.
Casualties and diplomatic pressure
Lebanese authorities report nearly 4,000 deaths-including many civilians-and over 1.2 million displaced since the conflict's escalation. Israel has lost 80 soldiers and 47 civilians. A Western diplomat, speaking anonymously, told the BBC that Lebanon is under growing pressure from the Trump administration to act against Hezbollah, which the US and UK designate as a terrorist organization.
Tabtabai's role and US sanctions
Tabtabai, a veteran Hezbollah commander, had overseen the group's special forces in Syria and Yemen, according to the US Treasury, which sanctioned him in 2016 and offered a $5 million bounty for intelligence leading to his capture. The US described him as a key figure in Hezbollah's "destabilizing regional activities," including training and arming proxy forces.
His elimination underscores Israel's shift toward targeting high-value Hezbollah leaders, despite risks of reigniting full-scale conflict. Analysts warn the strike could provoke a cycle of retaliation, further destabilizing Lebanon's fragile political landscape.
