Senior Hezbollah official killed in Beirut strike: Israel

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HARET HREIK, Lebanon — Israel on Sunday struck Lebanon's capital for the first time since June, saying it had killed Hezbollah chief of staff Haitham Tabtabai and warning the Iran-backed militant group not to rearm or rebuild a year after its last war.

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A strike in Beirut's southern suburbs left five people dead and 25 others injured, Lebanon's health ministry said.

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Hezbollah confirmed Tabtabai's death. It previously said the strike, launched almost exactly a year after a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, threatened to escalate attacks – just days before Pope Leo XIV plans to visit Lebanon on his first trip abroad.

“We will continue to act decisively to prevent any threat to the inhabitants of the north and the state of Israel,” said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. The military instructed residents of northern Israel near the Lebanese border to continue going about their daily business, saying they did not expect a military response from Hezbollah.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Tabtabai of leading Hezbollah's rearmament efforts.

Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon have intensified in recent weeks, while Israel and the United States put pressure on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah. Israel says the group is trying to rebuild its military capabilities. The Lebanese government, which supports Hezbollah's disarmament, has denied these claims. It also said troops had been deployed in the south but his cash-strapped army needed more resources.

Hezbollah has not attacked Israel since the ceasefire began. In December, it fired a pair of rockets that landed in an open area near an Israeli military base and called it a “warning.”

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Tabtabai was the apparent successor to Ibrahim Aqil, who was killed in September 2024 in Israeli attacks that killed much of Hezbollah's senior leadership, including longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah. Tabtabai also led Hezbollah's elite Radwan unit. In 2016, the United States designated him as a terrorist, calling him a military commander who led Hezbollah special forces in Syria and Yemen, and offered up to $5 million for information about him.

“Escalation of attacks”

“Hezbollah's leadership is studying the response and will make an appropriate decision,” Mahmoud Kamati, deputy chairman of Hezbollah's political council, told reporters at the scene. “Today's attack on the southern suburbs opens the door to an escalation of attacks across Lebanon.”

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Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike in a statement and accused Israel of refusing to uphold its side of the ceasefire agreement. He called on the international community to “intervene decisively and seriously to stop attacks on Lebanon and its people.”

An Israeli military statement said Israel remains committed to the “understandings” reached between Israel and Lebanon.

Smoke could be seen in the busy Haret Hreik area, where Israel did not issue an evacuation warning before the strike. The fourth floor of an apartment building was damaged. When emergency personnel arrived, shots were heard, dispersing the crowd.

“This is definitely a civilian area without any military presence,” Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar told reporters.

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An Israeli drone flew near the targeted building.

“They want to take our weapons. But they won't take our weapons,” said Maryam Assaf, who lives nearby and heard the impact. This, she said, “only gives us more determination, strength and dignity.”

Hezbollah has weakened greatly

Lebanon's president last week said the country was ready to negotiate with Israel to stop its airstrikes and withdraw troops from five hilltop spots it occupies on Lebanese territory. He also said Lebanon is committed to the disarmament of all non-state actors in the country, including Hezbollah.

Hezbollah said discussions about its military arsenal should be part of dialogue with the Lebanese state once Israel stops its attacks.

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The latest war between Israel and Hezbollah began on October 8, 2023, the day after Hamas attacked southern Israel, when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas. Last year, Israel launched a massive bombing campaign against Lebanon that severely weakened Hezbollah, followed by a ground invasion.

The war was the most recent of several conflicts involving Hezbollah over the past four decades. More than 4,000 people have been killed in Lebanon, including hundreds of civilians, and damage is estimated at $11 billion, according to the World Bank. In Israel, 127 people were killed, including 80 soldiers.

An Israeli strike on Tuesday killed 13 people in the Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near the southern city of Sidon in the deadliest attack since the ceasefire took effect. The military said it attacked a military facility belonging to the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Hamas denies the presence of any military installations in the overcrowded camp.

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Attack of October 7

Meanwhile, Israeli Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said that on October 7, 2023, he imposed sanctions on 13 army officials who were senior commanders. Some were convicted and others were forced to resign.

Among those punished were the then heads of military intelligence, army operations and the Southern Command, which is responsible for the Gaza Strip. All three men have already resigned. They were removed from reserve service and told their military careers were over.

Zamir noted the “serious, vocal and systematic failure” to protect Israelis before and during an attack, as well as the need to “establish a clear standard of command responsibility.”

Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Megan Janetsky in Jerusalem contributed.

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