Israel kills Hezbollah ‘chief of staff’ in Beirut
By JNS STAFF
The Israeli Air Force killed the Hezbollah terrorist group’s “chief of staff” in Beirut on Sunday in a targeted strike, the IDF said.
Debris following an Israeli airstrike targeting a Hezbollah terrorist in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Nov. 23, 2025. (Photo by Ibrahim Amro/AFP via Getty Images)
The afternoon military operation against the No. 2 leader in the terrorist organization—which was dubbed “Black Friday”—was the first Israeli strike on Beirut since July.
“A short while ago, the IDF struck in the heart of Beirut the Hezbollah chief of staff, who led the terrorist organization’s military buildup and armament,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The target was identified by Hebrew media as Haytham ‘Ali Tabataba’i, Hezbollah’s No. 2 after Secretary-General Naim Qassem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “ordered the strike on the recommendation of the defense minister and the IDF chief of staff,” noted the statement from the premier’s office. The Jewish state is “determined to act to achieve its objectives anywhere, at any time,” the statement continued.
The PMO announcement came shortly after the IDF announced it had “conducted a precise strike targeting a key Hezbollah terrorist in Beirut.”
An American official said Sunday that Washington has known for several days that Israel was planning to escalate its strikes in Lebanon, but was not notified in advance about the timing, location or target of the operation, Israel’s Channel 12 TV said.
The United States has set a reward of up to $5 million for intelligence leading to ‘Ali Tabataba’i’s capture, after declaring him a specially designated global terrorist in October 2016 for commanding the terrorist organization’s operations in Syria and Yemen.
On Nov. 26, 2024, Jerusalem and Beirut signed a ceasefire deal aimed at ending more than a year of cross-border fighting between the IDF and Hezbollah. The Iranian-backed terrorists began attacking the Jewish state in support of Hamas in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.
Since the truce, the IDF has conducted frequent raids to stop Hezbollah from rebuilding its infrastructure in Lebanon in violation of the ceasefire.
Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on Sunday afternoon, “We will continue to act forcefully to prevent any threat to the residents of the north and the State of Israel.
“Anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have his hand cut off,” he added, warning Hezbollah that Jerusalem was “determined to continue the policy of maximum enforcement in Lebanon and anywhere else.
“We will not allow a return to the reality of before October 7,” he said.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun in a statement condemned Sunday’s strike, and called on the international community to “intervene with strength and seriousness to stop the attacks on Lebanon and its people.”
Netanyahu, speaking at a Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem hours before the airstrike on Sunday afternoon, said that the Jewish state was “continuing to strike terrorism on several fronts.”
“This weekend, the IDF struck in Lebanon, and we will continue to do everything necessary to prevent Hezbollah from re-establishing its threat capability against us,” the premier told reporters.
