Israel confirms the assassination of Hezbollah’s most prominent leader Haitham Ali al Tabatabaei
Hezbollah announced on Sunday evening that four of its members were killed in the Israeli raid on Beirut’s southern suburbs, which also targeted leader Haitham Ali al Tabatabaei.
In separate statements, Hezbollah mourned “Qassem Hussein Barjawi “Malak” born in 1979 from Bashoura in Beirut, Mustafa Asaad Bro “Hajj Hassan” born in 1989 from the town of Shamstar in the Bekaa (east), Rifaat Ahmed Hussein “Abu Ali” born in 1982 from the town of Ham (east), and Ibrahim Ali Hussein “Amir” born in 1990 from the town of Aitaroun (south).
Hezbollah statement said the four operatives were killed “following an abandoning Israeli aggression on the Haret Hreik area in the southern suburbs of Beirut”.
Earlier on Sunday, Hezbollah mourned the leader Haitham Ali al Tabatabaei, who was killed in the same raid on the southern suburb of Beirut.
Israeli aerial bombardment of a building in Beirut’s southern suburbs killed five people and wounded 28 others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Earlier, Israel announced the assassination of Tabatabaei, who IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir described as Hezbollah’s most prominent leader.
“On November 23, 2025, under the direction of the Military Intelligence Division, the Israeli Air Force carried out a strike in the Beirut area that resulted in the assassination of terrorist Haitham Ali al Tabatabaei, Hezbollah’s chief of staff,” the IDF said.
An Israeli military statement quoted IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir as saying, “We’ve hit the most prominent commander in the Hezbollah organization,” noting that the raid on the Beirut suburb is aimed at “preventing the growth of the organization’s strength and hitting anyone who tries to attack the State of Israel”.
Tabatabaei ‘s name was on the US list of individuals linked to terrorism, as Washington noted that he led the group’s operations in Syria and Yemen.
In addition, the IDF explained that Tabatabaei assumed his last leadership position following the war with Israel, which lasted from October 2023 until late November 2024, when a ceasefire agreement was reached.
During the war, the party suffered significant losses in terms of military and command structure.
Tabatabaei was a central element of Hezbollah, joining its ranks in the 1980s and holding a series of leadership positions, including commander of the party’s elite Radwan unit.
Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qamati had earlier confirmed that the raid targeted a senior military commander without revealing his identity or fate, while the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that five people were killed and 28 others were wounded in the strike.
For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the Israeli raid on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday resulted in the martyrdom of Lebanese Hezbollah Chief of Staff Ali Tabatabaei.
In a video, Netanyahu said that Israel “won’t allow Hezbollah to pose a threat again, and we won’t allow the party to rebuild its strength”.
“We have eliminated Tabatabaei , the top commander in Hezbollah,” he added.
The Israeli prime minister called on the Lebanese government to shoulder its responsibilities towards the party, saying, “We expect the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah and fulfill its commitments and commitments”.
Netanyahu described Ali al Tabatabaei as one of the bloodstained hands, noting that it’s no coincidence that the United States has placed a big prize on his head”.
Netanyahu concluded, “Israel has outlawed part of the Muslim Brotherhood and is working to get the rest out”.
“The Israeli army launched an attack in the heart of Beirut targeting Hezbollah’s chief of staff, who led the process of strengthening strength and armament within the terrorist organization,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement, stressing that the Israeli prime minister ordered the attack to be carried out on the recommendation of the defense minister and chief of staff.
In related context, Israel estimates that there will be no exchange of strikes with Hezbollah following the assassination of its chief of staff, Haitham Tabatabaei, according to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan 11 on Sunday evening.
Despite this, Israel is preparing for a reaction from other fronts to the assassination carried out in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Israel expects Hezbollah to use the assassination to wage psychological warfare against Israel and keep it on high alert in preparation for a possible response.
Hezbollah officially announced that its commander had been killed in Israeli raids on the southern suburbs of Beirut.
