Beirut mourns Hezbollah commander after Israeli attack
Hundreds of mourners gathered in Beirut on November 24th after Haytham Ali Tabtabai, Hezbollah’s top military commander, along with four other fighters were killed in an Israeli strike on the capital’s outskirts on November 23rd, as reported by Reuters.
Targeted assassinations by Israel on Hezbollah officials had become less frequent since the ceasefire in November 2024. The Israeli strike came just after Lebanon celebrated Independence Day and has stoked concerns of renewed escalation.
As mourners moved through the southern suburbs, they chanted against Israel and the US. Both countries have been pushing Lebanon to speed up Hezbollah’s disarmament in line with the ceasefire terms.
Senior Hezbollah political figures attended the funeral, although it was not clear whether any military leaders were there.
Tabtabai, 57, had risen quickly within the group after much of Hezbollah’s leadership was eliminated. He eventually assumed the group’s top military post and joined its Jihad Council, the body overseeing military operations.
A Lebanese security source said Israel now appears to be targeting Hezbollah’s “next generation,” a sentiment echoed by a Western diplomat who said Israel was removing them “layer by layer.”
Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued frequent strikes in Lebanon, saying it is hitting arms depots, fighters and efforts by Hezbollah to rebuild its capabilities.
Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed to continue what he called a policy of “maximum enforcement,” saying that “anyone who raises his hand against Israel — his hand will be cut off.”
A Lebanese security source also reported Israeli surveillance drones over Beirut, southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. The monitoring has alarmed Hezbollah supporters.
Retired military analyst Malek Ayoub suggested on Al Manar television that Israel could use facial recognition technology to identify individuals attending Tabtabai’s funeral, potentially expanding its “bank of targets.”
Reuters, Maghrebi.org
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