🔗 Share this article

Israeli forces allegedly struck the top military official of Lebanon's Iran-aligned group Hezbollah in a airstrike on the capital's southern district, according to the office of the Israeli PM on Sunday.

This marked the first airstrike in several months on the southern district of the capital city, an zone recognized for housing Hezbollah officials.

Objective Identified as Military Leader

The objective of the strike was the commanding officer Ali Tabtabai, according to an Israeli source knowledgeable of the incident and a security official in Lebanon. The PM's office did not reveal whether Tabtabai was killed.

US Alert Particulars

A senior US official indicated that Israeli authorities failed to inform Washington beforehand about the operation, as mentioned in a digital update.

The official added that the administration was informed following the strike, and a second senior US official stated that the US had had information for several days that Israeli forces was planning to increase operations in Lebanon.

History on the Target

The US levied sanctions on Tabtabai in recent years, labeling him as a key military figure in the group and offering a incentive of up to $5m for intel on him.

Attack Particulars and Aftermath

The strike impacted a main road in the capital's southern area, where residents stated detecting the roar of warplanes before the blast.

Civilians rushed out of their apartment buildings out of concern of more bombings, per a correspondent in the region.

At least two people were lost their lives and approximately 24 were hurt and rushed to medical facilities in the region, per medical sources.

There was no prompt response from Hezbollah.

Recent Israeli Campaign

Israeli strikes on Hezbollah over the last two years have taken the lives of its ex-head the group's past leader, much of the group's top military brass and about five thousand combatants.

Statements from Israeli Leadership

The prime minister addressed his cabinet on the morning of the incident before the strike that the country would persist to fight “militant activities” on multiple fronts.

“We shall carry on to do everything needed to prevent Hezbollah from restoring its ability to pose a danger to us,” he stated.

Wider Context

Israeli forces has escalated bombing raids in the southern region, continuing a operation of near-daily attacks that it says is aimed to block a resurgence of forces by the faction in the frontier region.

Israel has charged Hezbollah of seeking to rearm since a US-backed ceasefire the previous year.

The group claims it has abided by requirements for it to end its military presence in the border region near the Israeli border, and for the military forces to station there.