On November 23, 2025, Israel launched an airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, killing Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s chief of staff and one of its most senior military leaders. The strike targeted an apartment complex in the Hezbollah-controlled Dahiyeh area, resulting in at least five deaths and injuring around 25 others, according to Lebanese health authorities. Israel confirmed the operation aimed to disrupt Hezbollah’s ongoing efforts to rebuild and rearm its forces, despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in place since 2024. Hezbollah condemned the attack as a dangerous escalation that crosses a “red line,” with its leadership assessing retaliatory options. Lebanon’s President called on the international community to intervene to stop further attacks on Lebanon. This strike marks the first Israeli air operation in Beirut in months, signaling heightened tensions between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group amid fragile regional ceasefire arrangements. The Israeli Prime Minister ordered the strike, emphasizing Israel’s determination to counter all threats from Hezbollah.