Israel targets key Hezbollah official in first attack on Beirut in months

Israel carried out an air strike on the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, for the first time in months, targeting a prominent member of the Hezbollah armed group, despite the ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the target was Hezbollah’s chief of staff. Israeli media reports identified him as Ali Al-Tabtai and described him as the group’s second-in-command.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health said that at least five people were killed and 28 others were injured in the raid that hit a residential building in the densely populated suburb area. It was not immediately clear whether the deceased was Tabatai.

Hezbollah confirmed that the raid targeted a senior commander, but did not reveal his identity.

The attack occurs as Israel has stepped up its crackdown on people and targets it says are linked to Hezbollah – a Shiite Muslim group backed by Iran – despite a US-France-brokered ceasefire that took effect last November.

Israeli officials say Hezbollah is trying to rebuild its military capabilities, is smuggling weapons into Lebanon and increasing the production of explosive drones as an alternative to rockets and missiles, and there are growing fears of an escalation of hostilities.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged the international community to put pressure on Israel – which continues to occupy at least five sites in southern Lebanon – to stop attacks and withdraw from the country, saying that the Israeli actions constitute a violation of the agreement that put an end to 13 months of conflict.

The Lebanese government pledged to disarm Hezbollah, but the group rejected calls to discuss the future of its weapons before Israel halts its attacks, withdraws completely from Lebanon, and releases Lebanese prisoners.

A Western diplomatic official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the BBC that the authorities are under pressure from the Trump administration, which is losing patience with what it sees as slow progress against the group, which countries including the United States and the United Kingdom consider a terrorist organization.

The latest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah erupted after the Lebanese group began firing rockets at Israeli positions the day after Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. Hezbollah said it was acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Lebanese authorities said Israeli attacks killed about 4,000 people there – including many civilians – and displaced more than 1.2 million residents. The Israeli authorities said that more than 80 of its soldiers and 47 civilians were killed in the hostilities.

The US government imposed sanctions on Tabatay in 2016 and classified him as a terrorist. It has a $5 million (£3.8 million) reward for anyone who provides information about him.