UPDATE 4 – Israel claims airstrike on Hezbollah chief of staff in Beirut

UPDATES WITH HEZBOLLAH COMMENT, CHANGES DECK

By Rania Abu Shamala and Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Israeli army claimed to have targeted Hezbollah’s chief of staff, Ali Tabatabai, in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Sunday, despite a ceasefire agreement in place since November 2024.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that the attack targeted Tabatabai in the heart of Beirut, accusing him of leading “the buildup and armament” of Hezbollah.

Netanyahu said he ordered the strike on the Hezbollah leader on the recommendation of Defense Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.

The Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed that five people were killed and 28 others injured in the Israeli attack.

Israel’s state-run broadcaster KAN said that Israel informed the US about the strike before it was carried out.

However, a US official told Israel’s Channel 12 that Israel did not notify Washington in advance but briefed US officials after the attack.

The official, whose identity was withheld by the channel, said Washington had been aware that Israel was “on the verge of escalating its attacks in Lebanon,” but did not know the timing or target of the operation.

According to Channel 12, Israel had previously attempted to kill Tabatabai twice during the war in Lebanon.

Mahmoud Qomati, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Political Council, said that a key military figure in the group was targeted in the airstrike, without naming him.

The strike “crossed a red line and opens the door to a wider escalation against all of Lebanon,” Qomati told reporters as he visited the site of the attack in Haret Hreik in southern Beirut.

The group’s leadership “will study how to respond to the Israeli strike,” he added.

Regarding the identity of the targeted person, Qomati said he was a “key military figure,” adding that the name would be announced later and that the outcome of the strike was still unclear.

Israel has carried out multiple strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut since the ceasefire, most recently in June.

Tensions in southern Lebanon have been mounting for weeks, with the Israeli military intensifying near-daily air raids inside Lebanese territory, claiming to target Hezbollah members and infrastructure.

According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, at least 331 people have been killed and 945 injured by Israeli fire since the ceasefire took effect on Nov. 27, 2024. The UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL) also reported more than 10,000 Israeli air and ground violations.

Under the ceasefire, the Israeli army was supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon this January, but instead only partially pulled out and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.