Israel targets Hezbollah chief-of-staff with first strike on Beirut in months

The Israeli military has conducted an air strike on southern Beirut, the first since early June, targeting Hezbollah’s second most senior figure.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the IDF struck “in the heart of Beirut, targeting Hezbollah’s Chief of Staff, who led the organization’s buildup and armament efforts.”

An Israeli source told CNN that the target of the attack was Haytham Ali Tabatabai, effectively Hezbollah’s second-in-command.

The source added that battle damage assessment was ongoing and it’s not clear yet if Tabatabai had been killed in the strike

Netanyahu ordered the strike based on the recommendation of the Minister of Defense and the IDF Chief of Staff, his office said.

“Enemy aircraft launched a raid on the southern suburbs of Beirut, resulting in casualties and significant damage,” Lebanon’s official news agency reported.