Who was Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah official killed by Israel?

Israel has attacked the Haret Hreik country successful the confederate suburbs of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, sidesplitting 5 people, including Hezbollah’s highest ranking subject official.

Sunday’s attack, which took spot amid an uptick successful Israeli attacks crossed Lebanon, was the archetypal connected Beirut’s confederate suburbs successful respective months and the archetypal without informing since past year’s ceasefire betwixt Israel and Hezbollah was announced.

Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s main of staff, besides known arsenic Sayyid Abu Ali, was among those targeted and killed. This was the 3rd effort connected his life, according to Israeli media, which reported that the 2 anterior attempts occurred during past year’s warfare with Israel, which culminated successful a United States-brokered ceasefire successful November 2024.

Israel has since been accused of violating that ceasefire connected a near-daily ground by United Nations experts. Hezbollah has responded to Israel’s continued attacks once, successful December.

Who was Haytham Ali Tabatabai?

Before the attack, Tabatabai’s sanction was not wide known successful Lebanon. Hezbollah’s subject operatives thin to enactment successful the shadows to debar Israeli assassinations.

But since his decease connected Sunday, it has been revealed that Tabatabai held galore elder positions wrong the equipped governmental radical during his tenure.

He was calved successful 1968 successful Bashoura, a neighbourhood successful Beirut, to Lebanese parents though his begetter reportedly had Iranian roots. He grew up successful confederate Lebanon and reportedly joined Hezbollah successful the 1980s.

In its authoritative announcement, Hezbollah said Tabatabai had been portion of the radical since its founding successful 1982 arsenic a absorption question against the Israeli concern of confederate Lebanon. In the post-war period, Hezbollah grew to go Lebanon’s strongest governmental enactment and subject force, serving successful Lebanon’s parliament and having ministers successful respective governments.

Tabatabai was a elder subject authoritative successful Hezbollah with extended subject experience. He reportedly took portion successful a fig of tract operations successful Israeli-occupied confederate Lebanon and led Hezbollah’s Nabatieh axis, oregon bid area, from 1996 until Israel withdrew from confederate Lebanon successful 2000.

According to Hezbollah, Tabatabai past led the Khiam axis from 2000 until 2008 and was successful bid during the July 2006 war, which saw Israel and Hezbollah combat to a gully aft 34 days. The radical besides said Tabatabai participated successful establishing Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force.

Later, helium was liable for Hezbollah’s operations on the borderline with Syria and took implicit responsibilities for the operations subdivision during last year’s warfare with Israel.

According to Israeli media reports, Tabatabai led Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force successful Syria and Yemen earlier replacing Ali Karaki, who was assassinated during past year’s war, arsenic commandant of Hezbollah’s confederate front.

He was appointed arsenic Hezbollah’s main of unit aft the war, successful which astir of Hezbollah’s elder subject leaders were killed by Israel.

“Tabatabai was the 1 reorganising Hezbollah’s subject leadership, and the targeting of the confederate suburbs of Beirut is an denotation that the Lebanese authorities has nary guarantees against the enlargement of specified attacks,” Sohaib Jawhar, a nonresident chap astatine the Beirut-based Badil, the Alternative Policy Institute, told Al Jazeera.

What has Hezbollah said astir his death?

In its statement, Hezbollah confirmed the nonaccomplishment of “the large martyr jihadist commander” known arsenic Sayyid Abu Ali and described Israel’s assassination arsenic a “treacherous onslaught connected the Haret Hreik country successful the suburbs of Beirut”.

Mahmoud Qmati, vice president of the group’s Political Council, lamented “yet different ceasefire violation” and accused Israel of escalating the struggle “with the greenish airy fixed by the United States”.

Hezbollah released a compilation video showing footage of Tabatabai operating successful the field.

It besides 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 again violating the ceasefire.

“Every onslaught connected Lebanon is simply a crossing of a reddish line, and this aggression is inherent successful the entity that targets Lebanon’s dignity, sovereignty and the information of its citizens,” helium said.

What has the Lebanese authorities said?

Just 2 days earlier the attack, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced the government’s volition to participate bid negotiations with Israel with enactment from the planetary community.

After the onslaught connected Sunday, however, Aoun called connected the planetary assemblage to intervene to halt Israeli attacks connected his country.

Frustration has been gathering successful parts of Lebanon arsenic immoderate locals consciousness the authorities is not decently equipped oregon consenting to respond to Israel’s repeated aggressions. Many residents successful confederate Lebanon person expressed feelings of abandonment by the Lebanese authorities due to the fact that it has been incapable to forestall repeated Israeli attacks oregon rebuild destroyed homes.

What has Israel said?

After Sunday’s strike, Israel said it “remains committed to the understandings agreed upon betwixt the State of Israel and Lebanon”, apt referring to the existing ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the onslaught had been ordered aft recommendations from the defence curate and the Israeli army’s main of staff, and helium justified it by accusing Tabatabai of posing a menace to Israeli security.

The Israeli service released a statement, saying: “Tabatabai commanded astir of Hezbollah’s units and worked extensively to reconstruct their readiness for warfare with Israel. The [Israeli military] volition enactment against attempts to rebuild and rearm Hezbollah and volition run forcefully to region immoderate menace against Israel.”

Was the US alert of the onslaught beforehand?

According to the US quality website Axios, US officials were alert that an “escalation” was expected but were not informed of the details of this peculiar strike. An authoritative told Axios the US had been informed by Israel’s authorities straight aft the strike.

What happens now?

Qmati said Israel’s onslaught had crossed a “red line” and the group’s enactment would present see whether a effect was warranted.

“The onslaught connected the confederate suburbs contiguous opens the doorway to an escalation of assaults each implicit Lebanon,” helium said.