Israeli forces Attack Hezbollah Chief of Staff in Beirut Operation
Israeli forces reportedly struck the chief of staff of the Lebanese Iran-backed faction the Hezbollah organization in a operation on the capital's southern suburbs, as stated by the office of the Israeli PM on Sunday.
This was the initial strike in several months on the southern suburbs of the capital city, an area known for hosting officials from the group.
Target Named as Military Leader
The objective of the attack was the army leader Ali Tabtabai, according to an Israeli source informed about the strike and a Lebanese security source. The PM's office did not reveal whether Tabtabai was killed.
US Notification Particulars
A high-ranking American official revealed that Israel did not notify Washington prior about the strike, per a social media post.
The official added that the US government was informed immediately after the incident, and a second senior US official stated that the United States had had information for days that Israeli forces was preparing to intensify operations in the country.
Background on the Target
The United States imposed restrictions on Tabtabai in 2016, classifying him as a critical military figure in the group and providing a bounty of up to five million dollars for intel on him.
Attack Particulars and Consequences
The strike hit a main road in Beirut's southern area, where locals stated noticing the noise of aircraft before the blast.
People hurried out of their apartment buildings out of fear of additional attacks, per a journalist in the area.
No fewer than two individuals were killed and several dozen were wounded and transported to hospitals in the region, per medical sources.
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.
Recent Israel's Operations
Israeli strikes on the Lebanese faction over the last two years have taken the lives of its former leader Hassan Nasrallah, a large portion of the group's top military brass and about 5,000 fighters.
Comments from Prime Minister
The Israeli leader informed his cabinet on the morning of the incident before the attack that the country would persist to combat “militant activities” on several fronts.
“We will continue to do whatever is necessary to stop the group from rebuilding its capability to pose a danger to us,” he declared.
Broader Context
Israeli forces has escalated airstrikes in the southern region, advancing a campaign of regular assaults that it claims is designed to block a military revival by Hezbollah in the frontier region.
Israel has alleged the group of trying to acquire arms since a American-endorsed peace agreement last year.
The faction says it has complied with stipulations for it to terminate its armed deployment in the boundary zone near Israel, and for the national army to position there.
