Israel kills Hezbollah ‘chief of staff’ in Beirut
The strike in the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahiyeh in the southern part of the Lebanese capital targeted the terror group's No. 2.
JNS
Nov 23, 2025
Haytham Ali Tabatabai
The IDF said Sunday it killed the Hezbollah terrorist group’s “chief of staff” in Beirut in a targeted airstrike, pledging to continue to act against its efforts to rebuild and rearm.
The 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 and came nearly a year to the day since a ceasefire entered into force.
“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 in the afternoon.
The target was identified as Haytham Ali Tabatabai, 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.”
The IDF later confirmed the killing and said in an evening statement that Tabatabai was a “key operative and veteran in the terror organization” after joining its ranks in the 1980s and had held several senior roles, including the commander of the elite Radwan Force and head of Hezbollah’s operations in Syria.
During the war, he was appointed commander of Hezbollah’s operations division, and was responsible for consolidating the organization’s force buildup, the Israeli military statement said.
Tabatabai was subsequently appointed as Hezbollah’s chief of General Staff and led efforts to rebuild the organization, which lost most of its leadership in the war with Israel last year.
“We struck the most senior commander in the Hezbollah terrorist organization,” said IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir in a statement. “The strike was intended to prevent the organization from further strengthening its capabilities and to deliver a precise blow to those who attempt to harm the State of Israel.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Sunday in a statement that the Hezbollah chief of staff was a “mass murderer,” whose hands were stained with the blood of Israelis and Americans, noting that it was no coincidence that the United States offered a $5 million bounty for him.
“The policy I am leading is absolutely clear: under my leadership, the State of Israel will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its forces and pose a threat to Israel,” Netanyahu said. “I expect the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah.”
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 Tabatabai’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.
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