Mass Funeral in Beirut After Israeli Strike Kills Top Hezbollah Commander Haytham Tabtabai | APT

Hundreds of mourners filled Beirut’s southern suburbs on Monday (November 24) to pay their respects to senior Hezbollah commander Haytham Ali Tabtabai and four other fighters killed in an Israeli strike a day earlier. The targeted operation—rare since last year’s ceasefire—hit a residential area on the outskirts of the Lebanese capital and deepened fears that the fragile truce could be unraveling.

The United Nations expressed alarm over the attack, with spokesperson Stephane Dujarric urging all sides to exercise maximum restraint and reminding both parties that civilians and civilian areas must not be targeted. The UN reiterated that Lebanon’s territorial integrity must be respected and called for renewed commitments to the cessation of hostilities.

At the funeral, crowds chanted against Israel and the United States, accusing both of escalating tensions and pressuring Lebanon over Hezbollah’s disarmament—a key requirement of the 2024 U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Senior Hezbollah political figures attended the procession, though the presence of military officials remained unclear.

Tabtabai, 57, was considered one of Hezbollah’s most important military leaders, rising rapidly through the hierarchy after Israel killed the group’s long-time chief Hassan Nasrallah and much of its upper command during the 2023–2024 conflict. He served on Hezbollah’s Jihad Council and oversaw major operational planning.

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