An Israeli strike targeted Hezbollah’s “chief of staff” in Beirut

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office reported that the latter ordered a strike on Beirut on Sunday targeting Hezbollah’s “chief of staff.”

Israeli media quoted sources as saying that the target in the southern suburb operation was Abu Ali al-Tabtabai, the second person in Hezbollah.

The office said in a brief statement: “A short while ago, in the heart of Beirut, Israeli army forces attacked Hezbollah’s Chief of Staff, who was leading the rebuilding and arming operations of the organization.”

The statement added that Netanyahu “issued the order to launch the attack based on the recommendation of the Minister of Defense and the Chief of Staff.”

Prior to that, the Israeli army announced that it had launched “a precise strike targeting a prominent member of Hezbollah in Beirut.”

The official Lebanese National News Agency reported that the Israeli raid targeted a building in the Haret Hreik area in the southern suburb of Beirut, noting that three missiles were fired at the targeted building.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health said in a statement that “the Israeli enemy’s raid on the southern suburb of Beirut led, initially, to the death of one person and the wounding of 21 others.”

An Agence France-Presse correspondent at the scene said that the strike hit the third and fourth floors of a nine-story building, and ambulances rushed to the scene and transported injured people.

This is the first strike targeting the southern suburb of Beirut, Hezbollah’s stronghold, since June 5, and the fifth since the ceasefire was announced between Israel and Hezbollah on November 27, 2024.

Earlier Sunday, Benjamin Netanyahu stressed continuing to do “whatever is necessary” to prevent Hezbollah in Lebanon from resuming its activities, rearming and building capabilities.