Israel eliminates Hezbollah's top military commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai in targeted Beirut strike

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) killed Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s main of staff, successful Beirut, calling him a "mass murderer" liable for attacks connected Israelis and Americans.

Netanyahu framed the onslaught arsenic portion of Israel’s ongoing effort to dismantle Hezbollah’s enactment and forestall the radical from rebuilding its arsenal aft caller operations. He warned that Israel would not tolerate aboriginal threats from Lebanon and urged its authorities to disarm Hezbollah.

"A fewer hours ago, the IDF eliminated Ali Tabatabai, the main of unit of the Hezbollah violent organization," Netanyahu said. "Tabatabai is simply a wide murderer. His hands are soaked successful the humor of galore Israelis and Americans, and it is not for thing that the U.S. enactment a bounty of $5 cardinal connected his head."

The premier curate said Tabatabai was a elder commandant successful the Radwan Force, which helium said prepared to invade the Galilee and termination Israeli civilians.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Nov. 23, 2025, that Israel Defense Forces killed Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s main of staff, successful Beirut. (Jacquelyn Martin/Getty Images)

Netanyahu said Tabatabai astir precocious led Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm aft the radical suffered large losses successful the "Pager Operation," including harm to rocket stockpiles and the sidesplitting of Nasrallah.

"I convey the IDF and the information forces that carried retired a professional, close and palmy cognition today," Netanyahu said. "The argumentation I americium starring is perfectly clear: Under my leadership, the State of Israel volition not let Hezbollah to rebuild its powerfulness and we volition not let it to airs a menace to the State of Israel again.

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Hezbollah terrorists are taking portion successful cross-border raids successful 2023. (Fadel Itani/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"I expect the authorities of Lebanon to fulfill its committedness to disarm Hezbollah," helium added. "Because lone successful this mode tin a amended aboriginal beryllium made imaginable for each national successful Lebanon and lone successful this mode tin bully and unafraid neighborly relations beryllium established betwixt Israel and Lebanon."

Netanyahu besides commended President Donald Trump for vowing to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a violent organization, saying the radical endangers stableness passim the Middle East and beyond.

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Hezbollah members salute and rise the group's yellowish flags during the ceremonial of their fallen comrades Ismail Baz and Mohamad Hussein Shohury, who were killed successful an Israeli onslaught connected their vehicles, successful Shehabiya successful southbound Lebanon connected April 17, 2024.  (AFP via Getty Images)

Hezbollah confirmed Tabatabai’s decease by posting a photograph connected its Telegram accounts, signaling the nonaccomplishment of 1 of its apical commanders. A translation of the image’s caption reads, "Islamic Resistance successful Lebanon – Hezbollah. The large jihadi person Haitham Ali Tabatabai (Sayyed Abu Ali), 1968–2025."

Earlier Sunday, the premier minister’s bureau said the IDF carried retired the Beirut onslaught connected the proposal of the defence curate and the IDF main of staff. Shortly aft the operation, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel volition proceed to enactment decisively against threats from Lebanon.

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"Anyone who raises a manus against Israel volition person his manus chopped off," Katz said. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I are determined to proceed the argumentation of maximum enforcement successful Lebanon and elsewhere. We volition not let a instrumentality to the world earlier Oct. 7."