Jerusalem, Nov 23 (LatestNewsX) – Israel announced on Sunday that it had fatally targeted a senior Hezbollah commander, Haytham Ali Tabatabai, in a precision airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut. Officials described the strike as one of the most significant blows to the group’s leadership since last year’s conflict, according to news reports.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said Tabatabai had been the de‑facto chief of staff for Hezbollah, ranking just below Secretary‑General Naim Qassem in the Iran‑backed organization’s hierarchy. Hezbollah has yet to confirm or deny the report. The attack hit Dahieh, a heavily populated Hezbollah stronghold in south Beirut that Israel often cites as a hub for the group’s military activities.
The IDF called Tabatabai a “long‑serving and central operative,” noting that his ties to Hezbollah stretched back to the 1980s. Over the years he held a variety of key military posts, from leading the elite Radwan Force to overseeing Hezbollah units in Syria and coordinating cross‑border operations. Israeli analysts have long viewed him as one of Hezbollah’s most strategically important commanders.
During the 2024 Israel‑Hezbollah war, Tabatabai was made head of the group’s operations division, placing him at the core of battlefield planning. He was responsible for assessing battlefield conditions, coordinating troop movements, and shaping major combat directives throughout the conflict. As the fighting intensified and several senior leaders were killed, he reportedly became the main commander directing Hezbollah’s engagement against Israel in the final stages of the war.
Following the November 2024 ceasefire, the IDF said Tabatabai was formally named Hezbollah’s military chief of staff. In that role, he was tasked with rebuilding the organization’s command structure, reorganizing its units, and strengthening capabilities that had been weakened during the war. Israel viewed Sunday’s strike as a major operational gain, arguing that removing Tabatabai would significantly undermine Hezbollah’s long‑term strategic planning and readiness.
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