In the early hours of Sunday, November 23, 2025, the city of Beirut was shaken by a sudden and powerful airstrike. For the first time since June, Israeli fighter jets targeted Lebanon’s capital, killing five people—including Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s influential chief of staff—and wounding 25 others, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health. The attack, which struck a fourth-floor apartment in the densely populated Dahieh district, has reignited fears of a broader conflict just as Lebanon prepares for a historic papal visit and the region marks nearly a year since the last major ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasted no time in publicly confirming Tabatabai’s death. In a statement cited by Channel 12 News, Netanyahu declared, “I expect the government of Lebanon to fulfill its commitment to disarm Hezbollah.” He went on to praise the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for their “professional, accurate and successful” operation, emphasizing that “under my leadership, the State of Israel will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its power and we will not allow it to pose a threat to the State of Israel again.” Netanyahu described Tabatabai as a “mass murderer” whose hands were “soaked in the blood of many Israelis and Americans,” noting the $5 million U.S. bounty on his head.
The strike, which also killed four other militants—Ibrahim Ali Hussein, Rifaat Ahmed Hussein, Mustafa Asaad Barrou, and Qassem Hussein Barjawi—was a precision operation. According to Ynet, Israeli aircraft were spotted circling above Dahieh shortly before the explosion. The IDF’s Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, later confirmed the targeted nature of the attack and underscored the army’s ongoing efforts to “prevent Hezbollah’s rebuilding.” The operation, reportedly authorized by Netanyahu on the advice of senior defense officials, was based on last-minute intelligence that pinpointed Tabatabai’s location.
Tabatabai, often described as the group’s second-in-command after Secretary-General Naim Qassem, led Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force and was instrumental in the organization’s rearmament and reconstruction efforts following heavy losses in the previous year’s fighting. He had previously commanded operations in Syria and Yemen and was a key figure in Hezbollah’s military strategy. The U.S. designated him a global terrorist in 2016, offering a multi-million-dollar reward for information leading to his capture.
Hezbollah itself confirmed Tabatabai’s death, referring to him as “commander of the great jihad”—a title reserved for only the most senior leaders. In its statement, the group acknowledged the loss but stopped short of issuing an explicit threat of retaliation. Still, the mood in northern Israel shifted palpably. As reported by Israel Hayom and Ynet, communities along the border were placed on high alert, with Jerusalem preparing battle plans in anticipation of a possible Hezbollah response. The IDF Home Front Command, however, stated that no changes had yet been made to civilian security directives.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also weighed in, commending the military and political leadership for the operation. “The State of Israel will continue to act as required to eliminate the threat on the northern border and strengthen the security of the residents of the area and all citizens of the State of Israel,” Herzog said Sunday night.
The timing of the strike is especially significant. It comes almost exactly one year after the November 26, 2024, ceasefire agreement between Jerusalem and Beirut, which was supposed to bring an end to more than a year of cross-border hostilities. That ceasefire, however, has proven fragile. Since its signing, the IDF has carried out over 1,200 incursions into southern Lebanon, ranging from overt patrols and ambushes to the destruction of tunnels and suspected weapons caches. According to Ynet, these operations occur three to five times daily within a few miles of the border, highlighting the persistent volatility of the region.
Israel and the United States have repeatedly pressured Lebanon to fulfill its end of the ceasefire by disarming Hezbollah. Netanyahu was blunt in his latest remarks: “Only through Beirut fulfilling its commitments under the Nov. 26, 2024, ceasefire understandings with Jerusalem can a better future be made possible for every citizen in Lebanon—and only in this way can good and secure neighborly relations be established.” Yet, as Israel Hayom reported, Israeli officials say there is little evidence that the Lebanese army has taken meaningful steps to dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure.
The Lebanese government, for its part, has vigorously denied Israeli accusations that Hezbollah is rearming. President Joseph Aoun condemned the airstrike, accusing Israel of “refusing to uphold its part of the ceasefire agreement” and appealing for international intervention to “stop the attacks on Lebanon and its people.” He insisted that Lebanon remains committed to disarming all non-state actors, including Hezbollah, but noted that the country’s cash-strapped military needs more resources to operate effectively in Hezbollah strongholds. Aoun also recently signaled Lebanon’s willingness to enter negotiations with Israel to halt ongoing airstrikes and resolve territorial disputes.
On the ground in Beirut, the aftermath was chaotic and tense. Smoke rose above the Haret Hreik neighborhood as emergency workers rushed to the scene. Crowds gathered, and gunshots were fired to disperse onlookers, according to AFP and Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency. Hezbollah parliamentarian Ali Ammar, speaking near the site, insisted, “This is definitely a civilian area and void of any military presence, especially the neighborhood where we stand.” The Lebanese military cordoned off the area, and UN peacekeepers criticized Israel for what they view as a violation of the ceasefire.
Hezbollah’s leadership, meanwhile, is reportedly weighing its response. Mahmoud Qamati, the group’s deputy political chair, told journalists, “Hezbollah’s leadership is studying the matter of response and will take the appropriate decision. The strike on the southern suburbs today opens the door to an escalation of assaults all over Lebanon.”
The situation is further complicated by the impending visit of Pope Leo XIV to Lebanon, a trip that now hangs in the balance amid fears of renewed violence. Many in Beirut and the wider region are bracing for what comes next, unsure whether the latest strike will trigger a new round of conflict or force a return to the negotiating table.
As the dust settles, one thing is clear: the fragile peace along the Israel-Lebanon border remains as precarious as ever, with both sides trading accusations and preparing for whatever may follow. The death of Haytham Tabatabai is a dramatic escalation in a conflict that, despite ceasefires and international pressure, shows no sign of truly ending.
