Haytham Ali Tabatabai: The Hezbollah commander who cut his teeth in Syria and Yemen
In its first strike on Beirut since June, Israel on Sunday killed the most senior Hezbollah military figure to have been targeted since the ceasefire in Lebanon was established a year ago.
Haytham Ali Tabatabai, known as Abu Ali, rose through the ranks to become Hezbollah’s top military chief after Israel eliminated much of the group’s senior leadership.
During last year’s war, Tabatabai headed Hezbollah’s operations division. After the 24 November 2024 ceasefire, he was appointed chief of staff, replacing Ibrahim Aqil, who was killed two months earlier.
Hezbollah mourned him as “one of the leaders who laid the foundation for this resistance to remain strong, dignified, and capable, protecting the homeland and achieving victories”.
The Israeli military said Tabatabai “worked extensively” to restore Hezbollah’s “readiness for war with Israel”.