Israel targets Hezbollah chief of staff in Beirut

If you’re following events in Lebanon, here’s the update we can stand behind today. On Sunday 23 November 2025, Israel struck an apartment block in Haret Hreik, the densely populated southern suburb of Beirut known as Dahieh. Israeli officials said the target was Haytham (Haytham) Ali Tabataba’i, described by Israel as Hezbollah’s chief of staff. Lebanon’s health ministry reported at least five people killed and 28 wounded. This is the first strike on southern Beirut for months; the Financial Times notes the last was in June. Reuters and the FT reported Israeli claims that Tabataba’i was killed, while Hezbollah has not publicly confirmed his death.

Who is Tabataba’i? Open sources and past US notices describe him as a veteran Hezbollah commander who rose through the group’s elite Radwan Force and helped run operations in Syria and Yemen. The US State Department’s Rewards for Justice programme has carried a reward of up to $5 million for information on him since 2016, when Washington listed him as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. That background helps explain why his reported killing, if confirmed, would be seen as a major blow to Hezbollah’s military command.

You may be asking: wasn’t there a ceasefire? Yes. A US‑ and French‑brokered truce took effect on 27 November 2024 after around 14 months of cross‑border fighting. The deal set a 60‑day transition: Hezbollah forces would move north of the Litani River and Israel would withdraw troops from southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers stepping in. Implementation has been messy. By February, the Washington Post reported Israel still held at least five positions inside Lebanon pending fuller deployment by the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Why this strike now? Israeli officials argue Hezbollah has been rebuilding military capacity despite the truce, including expanding production of explosive drones. In June, Israel said it hit underground UAV sites in Dahieh and elsewhere; Lebanon’s presidency condemned those strikes as a breach of the agreement, and a Hezbollah figure denied the drone‑factory claims. This is the frame Israel is using again to justify Sunday’s hit. As ever, be alert to who is making which claim.

What it means for the truce. Further strikes in the capital increase the risk of a wider unravelling, even if both sides say they want to avoid a return to full‑scale war. The Guardian reported a senior US official saying Washington was not told in advance about this Beirut operation; meanwhile, President Joseph Aoun has repeatedly urged outside powers to press for full Israeli withdrawal under the ceasefire terms. These details matter because they signal how fragile the arrangements still are.

The human picture helps you read today’s headlines. By late 2024, UN agencies and Lebanon’s health ministry were citing death tolls passing 3,000 in Lebanon, with estimates from Reuters and others later putting the figure nearer or above 3,700, and displacement around 1.2–1.3 million. Israeli authorities, cited by the Associated Press and Israeli outlets, put their losses in the conflict at roughly 70–80 soldiers and about 45 civilians. These numbers shift by source and date; look for the timestamp whenever you quote them.

If you’re teaching or learning this, anchor the timeline. The fighting linked to the Gaza war began for Lebanon on 8 October 2023, the day after Hamas’s 7 October attacks on Israel. Border clashes and airstrikes ran for about 14 months before the 27 November 2024 ceasefire. Today’s 23 November 2025 strike lands almost a year into that uneasy calm. Timelines keep complex stories manageable and help you cross‑check claims.

Quick definitions to keep handy as you follow updates. Hezbollah is a Shia Muslim political and armed movement in Lebanon backed by Iran; its political wing sits in parliament while its armed wing is designated a terrorist organisation by countries including the US and UK. Dahieh is the southern suburb of Beirut where many Hezbollah offices and supporters are based. The Litani River line is a key reference in past UN resolutions and in the 2024 truce. UNIFIL is the UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon; recent incidents, including an Israeli drone crashing at its Naqoura base, underline the risks monitors face.

Media‑literacy tip we use in The Common Room: when you read “X was killed,” ask two things-who is asserting it and who has confirmed it. In this case, Israel says Tabataba’i was eliminated; Lebanese sources confirm the strike and casualties; Hezbollah has not yet publicly confirmed his death. Reputable newspapers such as Reuters, the Financial Times and the Guardian flag this difference clearly, which is what you should look for.

What to watch next. Three signals matter for students and classrooms tracking this story: whether Hezbollah names the commander hit and vows a response; whether Israel conducts further strikes in Beirut rather than only in the south; and whether international mediators can keep the 2024 ceasefire mechanisms-army deployments, withdrawals, investigations-on track. We’ll keep scanning updates from AP, Reuters and others for verified changes before we adjust the picture you see here.