Israel has attacked the Haret Hreik space within the southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, killing 5 folks, together with Hezbollah’s highest rating navy official.
Sunday’s assault, which came about amid an uptick in Israeli attacks throughout Lebanon, was the primary on Beirut’s southern suburbs in a number of months and the primary with out warning since final yr’s ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was introduced.
Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s chief of workers, often known as Sayyid Abu Ali, was amongst these focused and killed. This was the third try on his life, in line with Israeli media, which reported that the 2 prior makes an attempt occurred throughout final yr’s warfare with Israel, which culminated in a United States-brokered ceasefire in November 2024.
Israel has since been accused of violating that ceasefire on a near-daily foundation by United Nations consultants. Hezbollah has responded to Israel’s continued assaults once, in December.
Who was Haytham Ali Tabatabai?
Earlier than the assault, Tabatabai’s title was not broadly identified in Lebanon. Hezbollah’s navy operatives are likely to work within the shadows to keep away from Israeli assassinations.
However since his loss of life on Sunday, it has been revealed that Tabatabai held many senior positions throughout the armed political group throughout his tenure.
He was born in 1968 in Bashoura, a neighbourhood in Beirut, to Lebanese dad and mom though his father reportedly had Iranian roots. He grew up in southern Lebanon and reportedly joined Hezbollah within the Nineteen Eighties.
In its official announcement, Hezbollah mentioned Tabatabai had been a part of the group since its founding in 1982 as a resistance motion in opposition to the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon. Within the post-war interval, Hezbollah grew to grow to be Lebanon’s strongest political occasion and navy power, serving in Lebanon’s parliament and having ministers in a number of governments.
Tabatabai was a senior navy official in Hezbollah with in depth navy expertise. He reportedly took half in numerous discipline operations in Israeli-occupied southern Lebanon and led Hezbollah’s Nabatieh axis, or command space, from 1996 till Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000.
In response to Hezbollah, Tabatabai then led the Khiam axis from 2000 till 2008 and was in command throughout the July 2006 warfare, which noticed Israel and Hezbollah combat to a draw after 34 days. The group additionally mentioned Tabatabai participated in establishing Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Power.
Later, he was chargeable for Hezbollah’s operations alongside the border with Syria and took over tasks for the operations department throughout last year’s war with Israel.
In response to Israeli media stories, Tabatabai led Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Power in Syria and Yemen earlier than changing Ali Karaki, who was assassinated throughout final yr’s warfare, as commander of Hezbollah’s southern entrance.
He was appointed as Hezbollah’s chief of workers after the warfare, through which most of Hezbollah’s senior navy leaders had been killed by Israel.
“Tabatabai was the one reorganising Hezbollah’s navy management, and the focusing on of the southern suburbs of Beirut is a sign that the Lebanese state has no ensures in opposition to the growth of such assaults,” Sohaib Jawhar, a nonresident fellow on the Beirut-based Badil, the Different Coverage Institute, informed Al Jazeera.
What has Hezbollah mentioned about his loss of life?
In its assertion, Hezbollah confirmed the lack of “the nice martyr jihadist commander” often called Sayyid Abu Ali and described Israel’s assassination as a “treacherous assault on the Haret Hreik space within the suburbs of Beirut”.
Mahmoud Qmati, vp of the group’s Political Council, lamented “yet one more ceasefire violation” and accused Israel of escalating the battle “with the inexperienced mild given by the USA”.
Hezbollah launched a compilation video exhibiting footage of Tabatabai working within the discipline.
It additionally confirmed the deaths of 4 different Hezbollah members: Qassem Hussein Berjawi, Rifaat Ahmad Hussein, Mostafa Asaad Berro and Ibrahim Ali Hussein.
Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar accused Israel of once more violating the ceasefire.
“Each assault on Lebanon is a crossing of a crimson line, and this aggression is inherent within the entity that targets Lebanon’s dignity, sovereignty and the safety of its residents,” he mentioned.
What has the Lebanese state mentioned?
Simply two days earlier than the assault, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun introduced the federal government’s intention to enter peace negotiations with Israel with assist from the worldwide neighborhood.
After the assault on Sunday, nonetheless, Aoun known as on the worldwide neighborhood to intervene to cease Israeli assaults on his nation.
Frustration has been constructing in components of Lebanon as some locals really feel the federal government is just not correctly geared up or prepared to answer Israel’s repeated aggressions. Many residents in southern Lebanon have expressed emotions of abandonment by the Lebanese authorities as a result of it has been unable to stop repeated Israeli assaults or rebuild destroyed houses.
What has Israel mentioned?
After Sunday’s strike, Israel mentioned it “stays dedicated to the understandings agreed upon between the State of Israel and Lebanon”, doubtless referring to the present ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned the strike had been ordered after suggestions from the defence minister and the Israeli military’s chief of workers, and he justified it by accusing Tabatabai of posing a risk to Israeli safety.
The Israeli military launched an announcement, saying: “Tabatabai commanded most of Hezbollah’s models and labored extensively to revive their readiness for warfare with Israel. The [Israeli military] will act in opposition to makes an attempt to rebuild and rearm Hezbollah and can function forcefully to take away any risk in opposition to Israel.”
Was the US conscious of the assault beforehand?
In response to the US information web site Axios, US officers had been conscious that an “escalation” was anticipated however weren’t knowledgeable of the main points of this specific strike. An official informed Axios the US had been knowledgeable by Israel’s authorities immediately after the strike.
What occurs now?
Qmati mentioned Israel’s strike had crossed a “crimson line” and the group’s management would now contemplate whether or not a response was warranted.
“The strike on the southern suburbs at the moment opens the door to an escalation of assaults throughout Lebanon,” he mentioned.
