The Lebanese Shiite formation “Hezbollah” has officially announced the loss of one of its most significant military commanders as a result of an Israeli air strike. The day before, Israeli military aircraft carried out missile strikes on an apartment building located in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Debris from the structure fell onto a busy avenue. Dozens of civilians sustained injuries of varying severity. Among the five killed was Haytham Tabtaba’i. He held the position of head of the operational command of the armed formations, oversaw special operations in Syria and Yemen, and was considered the second most important figure in the Hezbollah hierarchy. The previous head of this military branch was also eliminated by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The committee responsible for monitoring the ceasefire on the border line, chaired by the US and France, did not consider the actions taken by Tel Aviv as a factor leading to increased tensions. Their communiqué emphasizes that only a retaliatory strike from Lebanon could lead to escalation.
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