ALBAWABA - Despite the agreement between Hezbollah and Israel, Tel Aviv continues to carry out attacks in the Lebanese territories. Yesterday, the Israeli army struck and killed Hezbollah's top military official, Haytham Ali Tabtabai.
Haytham Ali Tabtabai is also referred to as the second man in the Iranian-backed group. He was killed in a strike on the outskirts of Beirut that came despite a year-long ceasefire.
Lebanon's health ministry said at least one person was killed and 21 others were injured, calling it a "preliminary toll".
Hezbollah late Sunday confirmed the death of Tabtabai, labeling him as "the great jihadist commander" who had "worked to confront the Israeli enemy until the last moment of his blessed life." The Lebanese group said in a statement that Tabatabai "rose as a martyr in defense of Lebanon and its people as a result of a treacherous Israeli aggression."
Rescuers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli air attack that targeted a residential building in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Haret Hreik neighborhood, on November 23, 2025. [AFP Photo]
Will Hezbollah respond to the killing of Haytham Ali Tabtabai?
Since yesterday, many media networks have questioned how the party would respond to the assassination of its second man and whether the war between Hezbollah and Israel would resume after months of being halted.
Erem News reported, citing political and military sources, that Hezbollah will not be able to respond in any way to Israel after the assassination of Haytham Ali Tabtabai, given Tel Aviv's desire to do so, to complete the pretext before the international community to carry out a military operation in the heart of Lebanon, targeting what remains of the party's military system.
The sources explained that Israel will not hesitate to continue targeting the rest of Hezbollah’s top military leaders, with the possibility of assassinating the current Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, especially since it realizes that the Lebanese militia will not be able to respond.
