Israel Strikes Hezbollah Commander in Beirut Suburb: Escalating Tensions

Israeli Airstrike Targets Hezbollah Commander

Despite a year-old ceasefire agreement brokered by the U.S. between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah, the Israeli military has reported killing a top Hezbollah military official in an airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday. The Israeli military stated that the attack, the first of its kind in months targeting the Lebanese capital's suburbs, targeted Ali Tabtabai, the acting chief of staff of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. Hezbollah confirmed Tabtabai's death in a statement, calling him a "great jihadist commander" and noting that he "was fighting the Israeli enemy until the last moment of his life," highlighting his seniority but not revealing his specific role.

Reactions and Potential Escalation

Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qmati described the Israeli strike as crossing "red lines" while standing near a destroyed building in the Haret Hreik suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold. He added that the Hezbollah leadership would decide whether and how the organization would respond. The Lebanese Health Ministry stated that the attack resulted in five deaths and 28 injuries. The bomb struck a multi-story building, with debris scattering onto vehicles on the main road below.

Background and Implications

In 2016, the U.S. sanctioned Tabtabai, identifying him as a key Hezbollah leader and offering a $5 million reward for information about him. The Israeli military statement said that Tabtabai “commanded much of Hezbollah’s forces and worked to restore the readiness of these forces to wage war with Israel.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a brief televised statement that Israel would not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its military strength and expressed his hope that the Lebanese government would “fulfill its obligations to disarm Hezbollah.” Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged the international community to intervene to stop Israeli attacks.

Timeline and Rising Tensions

The attack occurred a week before Pope Leo’s arrival in Lebanon for his first visit, which many Lebanese hoped would herald a better future for the country. The November 2024 ceasefire agreement aimed to end a year of fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli forces. The fighting was triggered after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israeli outposts the day after an attack launched by Hamas, Hezbollah’s Palestinian ally, on October 7, 2023. But since the ceasefire, Israel has conducted near-daily airstrikes on Lebanon, targeting what it says are Hezbollah weapons depots, armed personnel, and the organization’s rebuilding efforts. In recent weeks, Israel has intensified its airstrikes. Asked whether Israel notified the U.S. before launching the attack, Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said that Israel made the decision independently.

Impact of Israeli Operations

Over the year of fighting, Israel has managed to eliminate much of Hezbollah’s leadership, including then-leader Hassan Nasrallah. Since 2024, Israel and Lebanon have accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement. The Lebanese side has stated that continued Israeli airstrikes and the occupation of five outposts in southern Lebanon constitute a serious breach. Aoun has said he is willing to negotiate, but has not received a positive response from Israeli officials. Israel has accused Hezbollah of trying to reorganize in the south and has pressured Lebanon to be more proactive in confiscating all unauthorized weapons throughout the country, including those of Hezbollah. Since the ceasefire began, Hezbollah has not fired on Israel and has said it is abiding by the ceasefire agreement.