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Hezbollah has confirmed the death of a top official after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: If you’re unaware, Hezbollah is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political and militant organization, widely classified as a terrorist group by the United States, Israel, the European Union, and other countries. Despite this designation, Hezbollah holds significant political power within Lebanon and is viewed by many Lebanese (particularly within the Shia community) as a legitimate resistance movement defending the country from Israeli aggression. The group operates its own media outlets, social services, and has members in Lebanon’s parliament, blurring the line between a terrorist organization and political entity. Over the past two years, Hezbollah has been significantly weakened by a series of targeted Israeli airstrikes that have decimated much of its senior military leadership and infrastructure. Simultaneously, Iran (Hezbollah’s main backer) has scaled back its support amid mounting domestic challenges, economic instability, and external pressure from Israeli and US operations targeting Iranian proxies across the region.

What’s going on now: In a notable development, Israel carried out a precision airstrike on Sunday in Beirut’s southern suburbs, killing Hezbollah’s military chief of staff, Haytham Ali Tabatabai, along with four others: Ibrahim Ali Hussein, Rifaat Ahmed Hussein, Mustafa Asaad Barrou, and Qassem Hussein Barjawi. The strike targeted a building in the Haret Hreik neighborhood, where missiles hit the third and fourth floors of a residential building. Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reported five fatalities and at least 28 injuries.

Hezbollah confirmed Tabatabai’s death in what it called “a treacherous Israeli attack” and labeled him as a “great Jihadi commander” who “dedicated his life to the resistance.” Senior Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qomati called the strike a “crossing of a new red line,” warning, “The strike on the southern suburbs today opens the door to an escalation of assaults all over Lebanon.”

Israel, on the other hand, framed the strike as a strategic necessity. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Tabatabai was specifically targeted for leading Hezbollah’s military buildup and armament efforts. “We will continue to act forcefully to prevent any threat to the residents of the north and to the State of Israel,” said Defense Minister Israel Katz. The Israeli military described Tabatabai as a veteran commander responsible for consolidating Hezbollah’s operations and rebuilding its forces after the 2024 war. Israel’s Foreign Ministry later stated the strike was in response to Hezbollah’s “repeated violations of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the 2024 ceasefire understandings.”

The strike marked the first Israeli hit on Beirut since June, and it came just days before Pope Leo XIV’s planned visit to Lebanon (his first foreign trip).