Haret Hreik ​ ~ Israel on Sunday struck Lebanon's capital for the first time since June, saying it killed Hezbollah's chief of staff Haytham Tabtabai and warning the Iran-backed militant group not to rearm and rebuild a year after their latest war.

The strike in Beirut's southern suburbs killed five people and wounded 25 others, Lebanon's Health Ministry said.

The resistance group released a statement on Sunday night announcing the martyrdom of Commander Tabatabai and four other resistance fighters in“a treacherous Israeli attack”.

“With pride and honour, Hezbollah announces to the people of the resistance and to our Lebanese people the martyrdom of the great jihadi commander Haitham Ali al-Tabtabai (Sayyed Abu Ali), who rose to martyrdom in sacrifice for Lebanon and its people following a treacherous Israeli attack on Haret Hreik in Beirut's southern suburb,” Hezbollah said.

The resistance ​​​​​group praised his unwavering dedication to the resistance movement, noting that he had been instrumental in building its strength since its inception.

Hezbollah stated that Tabatabai's martyrdom would inspire renewed hope and determination among resistance fighters, promising to continue the struggle against the“Zionist enemy and its patron, America”.

The group extended condolences to the families of the martyred commander and to all supporters of the resistance, calling for patience and comfort during this time of loss.

Tabtabai had led Hezbollah's elite Radwan Unit. Israel's military said he“commanded most of Hezbollah's units and worked hard to restore them to readiness for war with Israel.”

In 2016, the United States designated Tabtabai as a terrorist, calling him a military leader who led Hezbollah's special forces in Syria and Yemen, and it offered up to USD 5 million for information about him.

Tabtabai had been the apparent successor of Ibrahim Aqil, who was killed in September 2024 in Israeli attacks that wiped out much of Hezbollah's senior leadership, including long-time leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Hezbollah earlier said the strike, launched almost exactly a year after a ceasefire ended that Israel-Hezbollah war, threatened an escalation of attacks-just days before Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit Lebanon on his first foreign trip.

Israeli airstrikes over southern Lebanon have intensified in recent weeks while Israel and the United States have pressured Lebanon to disarm the powerful militant group.

Israel asserts that Hezbollah is trying to rebuild its military capabilities in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese government, which has approved its military's plan that would disarm Hezbollah, has denied those claims.

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun, in a statement, condemned Sunday's strike and accused Israel of refusing to implement its end of the ceasefire agreement. He called on the international community to“intervene with strength and seriousness to stop the attacks on Lebanon and its people.”

Smoke could be seen in the busy Haret Hreik neighbourhood. A video circulated on social media showed dozens of people crowded around the area of the strike, which appeared to be on the fourth floor of an apartment building. Gunshots could be heard to disperse crowds as emergency workers arrived.

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