Overview
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the strike on the recommendation of the defense minister and the IDF chief of staff.
- Israel identified the target as Haytham Ali Tabatabai, a longtime Hezbollah military figure designated by the U.S. in 2016 with a $5 million reward posted for information.
- The attack hit the fourth and fifth floors of a 10‑story building on a main road in Beirut’s Haret Hreik neighborhood, an area widely viewed as a Hezbollah stronghold.
- Early casualty reports diverged, with Lebanese media citing one dead and several wounded while Reuters, citing medical sources, reported at least two dozen injured; Hezbollah had not issued a comment.
- A senior U.S. official said Washington was not notified in advance and was told immediately after the strike, which was Israel’s first on Beirut since June following weeks of intensified operations in Lebanon.