Israel is on high alert, anticipating violent retaliatory strikes from Hezbollah following a targeted air raid on Beirut that eliminated a senior commander of the militant group.
The strike, which took place on Sunday in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, killed Haytham Tabtabai, Hezbollah's chief of staff and a veteran fighter. This marks the first such attack on Beirut since June, and is reported to have killed five others while injuring at least 25.
Escalating Tensions and Threats of Retaliation
Hezbollah has confirmed Tabtabai's death and issued threats of a significant escalation, a move that casts a shadow over the upcoming scheduled visit of Pope Leo XIV to Lebanon. Senior Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qmati labelled the Israeli strike a breach of a "red line," confirming that the group's leadership is actively deliberating its response.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz remained defiant, stating, "We will continue to act forcefully to prevent any threat to the residents of the north and the state of Israel." Israel justified the assassination, characterising Tabtabai as the "master of murders" and a key figure in Hezbollah's re-armament efforts, allegedly funded by Iranian paymasters to the tune of at least £1 billion in supplies.
Broader Conflict and Regional Fallout
The incident occurs against the grim backdrop of the ongoing war in Gaza, which has now claimed over 70,000 Palestinian lives and wounded 170,863 since it began in October 2023. The conflict was triggered by Hamas's attack on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes over southern Lebanon have intensified in recent weeks. The United States and Israel have pressured Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, a move the cash-strapped Lebanese government says it supports but lacks the resources to fully implement. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has accused Israel of reneging on ceasefire agreements and called for robust international intervention.
Command Shake-up and Historical Context
In a related development, the Israeli army's chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, sanctioned 13 army officials for their roles in the failures leading to the October 2023 Hamas attack. The punishments included forced retirements and censures.
Haytham Tabtabai was a significant figure within Hezbollah, having led its elite Radwan Unit and being the apparent successor to Ibrahim Aqil, who was killed in an Israeli attack in September 2024. That earlier strike decimated much of Hezbollah's senior leadership, including long-time leader Hassan Nasrallah.
The latest cycle of violence between Israel and Hezbollah began on 8 October 2023, a day after the Hamas incursion, and represents the most recent in a series of conflicts spanning four decades.
