Israel, Nov 24 : On Sunday claimed that it killed senior Hezbollah commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai in a precision airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, describing the operation as one of the most significant eliminations of the group’s leadership since last year’s conflict, according to media reports.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said Tabatabai served as Hezbollah’s de facto chief of staff, ranking just below Secretary General Naim Qassem in the Iran-backed militia’s command chain. Hezbollah has yet to issue any confirmation or comment on the reported strike.
The attack targeted Dahieh, a densely populated Hezbollah stronghold in south Beirut that Israel frequently cites as a centre for the organisation’s military activity.
Long-time Hezbollah operative
The IDF described Tabatabai as a “long-serving and central operative,” noting that he had been associated with Hezbollah since the 1980s. Over the decades, he reportedly held several high-level military appointments, including:
Commander of the elite Radwan Force
Supervisor of Hezbollah units deployed in Syria
Senior planner for cross-border operations
Israeli assessments have long identified him as one of Hezbollah’s most strategically influential commanders.
Key wartime role during 2024 conflict
During the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war, Tabatabai was appointed head of the organisation’s operations division, giving him oversight of battlefield planning, force deployment and major combat directives. As the conflict intensified and several senior Hezbollah leaders were killed, Tabatabai allegedly rose to become the group’s principal commander directing engagements against Israel in its final phase.
Following the November 2024 ceasefire, he was formally named Hezbollah’s military chief of staff, overseeing rebuilding efforts, restructuring depleted units and strengthening the group’s military capabilities, according to the IDF.
Israel terms strike a major operational win
Israeli officials said Sunday’s strike represents a major operational gain, arguing that the removal of Tabatabai would significantly disrupt Hezbollah’s long-term strategic planning and military preparedness.