1 Killed, 21 Injured as Israel Strikes Beirut for First Time in Months, Targeting Top Hezbollah Commander

Israel struck Beirut for the first time in months, killing one and injuring 21, according to reports.

Israel carried out the air strike on Sunday targeting Hezbollah's senior commander in Beirut, said reports.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the order for the attack was given by the prime minister himself. 

"A short while ago, in the heart of Beirut, the IDF (Israeli military) attacked the Hezbollah chief of staff, who had been leading the terrorist organisation's buildup and rearmament," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

"Israel is determined to act to achieve its objectives everywhere and at all times," the statement read.

The Israeli airstrike in Beirut targeted Hezbollah senior commander and number two man Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed.

Tabatabai is considered Hezbollah's de facto chief of staff and the group's second-most senior figure after secretary general Naim Qassem.

It wasn't clear if Tabatabai survived the strike.

The U.S. previously offered a $5 million reward for information on Tabatabai, who previously led the terror group's special forces in Syria and Yemen.

The strike was carried out in the in southern suburbs of Beirut. It caused "injuries and significant damage", according to reports.

Israel has stepped up its strikes on Hezbollah as the Iran-backed terror group tries to regroup and rebuild.

Under the terms of the ceasefire that went into effect on November 27, 2024, Hezbollah is required to withdraw its armed forces from southern Lebanon. According to UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War, the group is prohibited from operating south of the Litani River. 

(With inputs from agencies)