Israel launches first attack in Beirut in months targeting key Hezbollah official

Despite the ceasefire, Israel carried out its first airstrikes in months on the southern outskirts of the Lebanese capital Beirut, targeting a senior member of the militant group Hezbollah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the attack targeted Hezbollah’s chief of staff. Israeli media reports refer to him as Ali Tabtai, describing him as the organization’s second-in-command.

The attack hit an apartment building in the densely populated Dahih district, killing at least five people and injuring 28 others, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. It was not immediately clear whether the person killed was Tabutai.

Hezbollah confirmed the attack targeted a senior commander but did not reveal their identity.

The attack comes as Israel steps up operations against people and targets it says are linked to the Iran-backed Shia Muslim group Hezbollah, despite a U.S.- and France-brokered ceasefire that took effect in November.

Israeli officials say Hezbollah, which has been working to rebuild its military capabilities, is smuggling weapons into Lebanon and stepping up production of explosive drones as an alternative to rockets and missiles, amid growing concerns about an escalation in hostilities.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has urged the international community to put pressure on Israel, which continues to occupy at least five sites in southern Lebanon, to stop attacks and withdraw its troops from the country, saying Israel’s actions violate an agreement to end the 13-month conflict.

The Lebanese government has vowed to disarm Hezbollah, but the group has rejected calls to discuss the future of its weapons before Israel halts attacks, fully withdraws troops from Lebanon and releases Lebanese prisoners.

A Western diplomatic official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the BBC that authorities were facing pressure from the Trump administration, which has grown impatient with slow progress against the group, which is considered a terrorist organization by countries including the United States and Britain.

The latest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah erupted after the Lebanese group began firing rockets at Israeli positions on October 7, 2023, the day after the Hamas attack. Hezbollah said it acted in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Lebanese authorities said Israeli attacks killed about 4,000 people there, including many civilians, and displaced more than 1.2 million residents. Israeli authorities said more than 80 soldiers and 47 civilians were killed during the hostilities.

The U.S. government imposed sanctions on Tabutey in 2016 and labeled him a terrorist. It is offering a $5m (£3.8m) reward for information leading to him.