At least four additional Palestinians lost their lives in Gaza as Israel prepares for potential reprisal attacks from Hezbollah following an airstrike on Beirut over the weekend. Hezbollah leaders are contemplating retaliation after the killing of their chief of staff and seasoned fighter, Haytham Tabtabai, in the southern part of the capital on Sunday.
Israel defended the strike, labeling Tabtabai as the “master of murders,” citing his long-standing affiliation with Hezbollah and involvement in re-arming the network. Reports suggest that Hezbollah’s Iranian sponsors are supplying the group with over £1 billion in resources as they aim to re-arm the organization.
This recent strike, the first in Beirut since June, reportedly claimed the lives of five individuals and left at least 25 others wounded. Hezbollah acknowledged Tabtabai’s death and issued threats of escalating attacks just days before the scheduled visit of Pope Leo XIV to Lebanon.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reiterated Israel’s commitment to protecting its citizens, stating, “We will continue to take strong action to avert any threats to the northern residents and the state of Israel.” Meanwhile, senior Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qmati condemned Israel’s strike as crossing a “red line” and indicated that the group’s leadership is deliberating on a potential response.
Since October 2023, the conflict in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of over 70,000 individuals and injuries to 170,863. The conflict initiated when Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, resulting in 1,200 casualties and 250 abductions. Notably, a significant number of Hamas fighters remain sheltered in tunnels beneath Rafah in the Strip.
Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon have intensified recently, with Israel and the United States pressuring Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, alleging the group’s efforts to rebuild its military capabilities. Despite the Lebanese government’s support for disarming Hezbollah, it refutes these claims, citing financial constraints and the need for additional resources for its army.
Hezbollah has refrained from attacking Israel since the ceasefire commenced, with only sporadic rocket launches as warnings. Haytham Tabtabai, who was seen as the successor to Ibrahim Aqil, was a prominent figure within Hezbollah, leading the elite Radwan Unit. Following Tabtabai’s death, Hezbollah’s leadership is evaluating their response and considering potential escalations across Lebanon.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun accused Israel of failing to uphold the ceasefire agreement and urged the international community to intervene to halt the attacks on Lebanon. Lebanon has expressed readiness to engage in negotiations with Israel to cease the airstrikes and reiterated its commitment to disarm all non-state actors, including Hezbollah.
The most recent Israel-Hezbollah conflict commenced on October 8, 2023, following Hamas’ attack on southern Israel, which Hezbollah supported by launching rockets into Israel. Israel’s previous extensive bombardment and ground invasion of Lebanon significantly weakened Hezbollah. Notably, Israeli army chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, sanctioned 13 army officials for command failures during the conflict, resulting in resignations and retirements among senior commanders. Zamir emphasized the need for clear command responsibility standards to protect Israeli citizens during conflicts.