Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah chief-of-staff killed in Beirut strike: Israel Defense Forces

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it has “eliminated” Hezbollah’s chief of staff Ali Tabatabai, after a rare Israeli strike hit Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday, targeting the veteran commander in one of the most significant blows to the group’s leadership in months.

The attack struck a busy main road in the capital’s Dahieh district, sending residents fleeing buildings as a loud blast ripped through the neighbourhood.

According to the IDF, Tabatabai, a veteran operative active since the 1980s, was



responsible for building Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, overseeing operations in Syria, and expanding the group’s military capabilities over the decades.

After last year’s war and Operation Northern Arrows, he directed combat activity along the Israel–Lebanon border and later served as Hezbollah’s chief of general staff.

An Israeli source briefed on the strike and a Lebanese security official identified Tabatabai as the intended target. Hezbollah has not confirmed whether he was killed.