Israeli media outlets reported on Sunday that Israel killed Hezbollah’s chief of staff Ali Tabtabai in a strike on Beirut. The reports cited Israeli sources familiar with the operation.
Earlier claims said Israel targeted a senior Hezbollah figure in Beirut’s southern suburbs. The strike marked the first such attack on the area in several months.
An Israeli source briefed on the operation identified the target as Ali Tabtabai. A Lebanese security source confirmed the same information. Tabtabai served as a key military commander within the Iran-aligned group.
A senior U.S. official said Israel did not inform Washington before the strike. An Axios reporter posted the comments on X shortly after the incident. The official said the administration received information immediately after the strike. Another U.S. official said Washington knew Israel planned escalated actions in Lebanon.
The U.S. imposed sanctions on Tabtabai in 2016. Officials described him as a senior Hezbollah military leader.
Washington also offered up to $5 million for information about him.
Residents in Beirut said the strike hit a main road in the southern suburbs. Witnesses reported hearing warplanes moments before the explosion. People rushed from their homes, fearing additional strikes.
Medical sources said at least two people were killed. They added that two dozen others suffered injuries and were taken to hospitals. Hezbollah has not issued an immediate comment on the incident.
Israel has conducted extensive strikes on Hezbollah positions over the last two years.
Those attacks killed former leader Hassan Nasrallah and much of the group’s senior command.
Israel says the campaign aims to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its military capabilities.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the issue earlier on Sunday. He told his cabinet that Israel would continue fighting on several fronts. He said Israel must prevent Hezbollah from restoring its ability to threaten Israel.
Israel has intensified airstrikes in southern Lebanon in recent weeks. Officials say the attacks are designed to block a Hezbollah resurgence near the border. Israel has accused Hezbollah of trying to rearm since a U.S.-backed ceasefire last year. Hezbollah maintains it has followed withdrawal requirements and allowed Lebanese forces to deploy.
