Ahead of a fragile ceasefire deal, Israel has reportedly killed a senior member of Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group based in Lebanon, in an open air strike on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
Hezbollah confirmed Tabtabai’s death and further claimed that at least five people were killed and 28 others were wounded in the strike.
“We will continue to act forcefully to prevent any threat to the residents of the north and the state of Israel,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said. Meanwhile, Hezbollah said that it was an act of crossing the “red line.”
Intensified Air Strike
Over the past weeks, Israel has intensified its airstrikes over southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, pressure has been created on Lebanon by Israel and the United States to disarm Hezbollah. However, the Lebanese government has denied the claims.
In a statement after the strike, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Under my leadership, the State of Israel will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its power, and we will not allow it to once again pose a threat to the State of Israel.”
Israel’s military said that he “commanded most of Hezbollah’s units and worked hard to restore them to readiness for war with Israel.”
In an earlier strike, as reported by the NPR, a high-ranking militant may have been killed in the airstrike.
“Hezbollah’s leadership is studying the matter of response and will take the appropriate decision,” a journalist told NPR.
Lebanon’s President Condemns the Attack
Following the attack, which has killed Lebanon’s high chief, Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, in a statement condemned the attacks and said, “Intervene with strength and seriousness to stop the attacks on Lebanon and its people.”
A video of the attack has also made the rounds on social media, showing a dozen people gathered around the strike, and gunshots could be heard, dispersing the crowd.
“This is definitely a civilian area and void of any military presence, especially the neighborhood where we stand,” Hezbollah parliamentarian Ali Ammar told reporters, and NPR reported.
