Israel Assassinates Hezbollah Chief of Staff in Beirut Strike

According to Israeli assessments, Tabatabai was inside a safe house in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district when the strike hit.

By United with Israel Staff

For the first time in five months, Israel carried out a targeted strike in the heart of Beirut, aiming at one of Hezbollah’s most critical military figures.

The operation, authorized by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, targeted Ali Tabatabai — widely regarded as Hezbollah’s acting chief of staff and the organization’s No. 2 commander — though his death has not yet been formally confirmed.

According to Israeli assessments, Tabatabai was inside a safe house in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district when the strike hit.

The IDF confirmed it killed Tabatabai in the strike, pledging to continue to act against its efforts to rebuild and rearm.

A senior figure long responsible for the group’s elite forces and its renewed military buildup, he had, in recent months, been pushing for escalation against Israel and was reportedly involved in planning multiple attacks. Israeli officials viewed him as a driving force behind Hezbollah’s growing aggression.

The strike, part of an operation dubbed Black Friday, targeted the fourth and fifth floors of a 10-story building on Al-Arid Street in the Haret Hreik neighborhood, according to reports from Al-Mayadeen. Initial Lebanese reports noted one dead and 22 wounded.

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office emphasized the mission’s significance: “A short while ago, the IDF struck in the heart of Beirut, targeting Hezbollah’s chief of staff, who led the terror organization’s build-up and armament. I ordered the strike based on the recommendations of the defense minister and the IDF chief of staff. Israel is determined to achieve its objectives anywhere and at any time.”

Over recent years, he commanded Hezbollah’s special forces and, following losses in the group’s upper ranks, effectively became its most senior military operative. He played a central role in rebuilding and expanding Hezbollah’s military capabilities. The U.S. State Department had previously placed a $5 million bounty on his head under a counterterrorism rewards program.

Israeli security sources said the decision to strike was based on mounting evidence that Tabatabai was actively steering Hezbollah toward further escalation and enabling intensified operations along Israel’s northern border.

Hezbollah has not issued an official statement confirming his fate. Israeli officials believe the strike successfully delivered a direct blow to the core of Hezbollah’s military leadership at a critical moment in the ongoing conflict.