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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) killed Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s chief of staff, in Beirut, calling him a “mass murderer” responsible for attacks on Israelis and Americans.
Netanyahu framed the strike as part of Israel’s ongoing effort to dismantle Hezbollah’s leadership and prevent the group from rebuilding its arsenal after recent operations. He warned that Israel would not tolerate future threats from Lebanon and urged its government to disarm Hezbollah.
“A few hours ago, the IDF eliminated Ali Tabatabai, the chief of staff of the Hezbollah terrorist organization,” Netanyahu said. “Tabatabai is a mass murderer. His hands are soaked in the blood of many Israelis and Americans, and it is not for nothing that the U.S. put a bounty of $5 million on his head.”
The prime minister said Tabatabai was a senior commander in the Radwan Force, which he said prepared to invade the Galilee and kill Israeli civilians.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Nov. 23, 2025, that Israel Defense Forces killed Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s chief of staff, in Beirut. (Jacquelyn Martin/Getty Images)
Netanyahu said Tabatabai most recently led Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm after the group suffered major losses in the “Pager Operation,” including damage to missile stockpiles and the killing of Nasrallah.
“I thank the IDF and the security forces that carried out a professional, accurate and successful operation today,” Netanyahu said. “The policy I am leading is absolutely clear: Under my leadership, the State of Israel will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its power and we will not allow it to pose a threat to the State of Israel again.
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Hezbollah terrorists are taking part in cross-border raids in 2023. (Fadel Itani/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“I expect the government of Lebanon to fulfill its commitment to disarm Hezbollah,” he added. “Because only in this way can a better future be made possible for every citizen in Lebanon and only in this way can good and secure neighborly relations be established between Israel and Lebanon.”
Netanyahu also commended President Donald Trump for vowing to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization, saying the group endangers stability throughout the Middle East and beyond.
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Hezbollah members salute and raise the group’s yellow flags during the funeral of their fallen comrades Ismail Baz and Mohamad Hussein Shohury, who were killed in an Israeli strike on their vehicles, in Shehabiya in south Lebanon on April 17, 2024. (AFP via Getty Images)
Hezbollah confirmed Tabatabai’s death by posting a photo on its Telegram accounts, signaling the loss of one of its top commanders. A translation of the image’s caption reads, “Islamic Resistance in Lebanon – Hezbollah. The great jihadi leader Haitham Ali Tabatabai (Sayyed Abu Ali), 1968–2025.”
Earlier Sunday, the prime minister’s office said the IDF carried out the Beirut strike on the recommendation of the defense minister and the IDF chief of staff. Shortly after the operation, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel will continue to act decisively against threats from Lebanon.
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“Anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have his hand cut off,” Katz said. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I are determined to continue the policy of maximum enforcement in Lebanon and elsewhere. We will not allow a return to the reality before Oct. 7.”