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Strike on Beirut's Dahiyeh Kills 1, Wounds 21 — Israel Says Hezbollah Commander Was Target

Israeli forces struck an apartment block in Beirut’s Hezbollah-held Dahiyeh district, killing one person and wounding 21 despite a year-old ceasefire. Israel named Haytham Ali Tabatabai as the intended target; Hezbollah has not confirmed his fate. The attack caused significant damage in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood and prompted calls from Lebanon’s president for international intervention. Analysts say the lack of warning suggests a high-value target and highlights Lebanon’s fragile security situation.

10:27 PM, 11/23/2025Conflict
Strike on Beirut's Dahiyeh Kills 1, Wounds 21 — Israel Says Hezbollah Commander Was Target

Israeli forces struck an apartment block in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh on Sunday, killing at least one person and injuring 21 others, Lebanese officials said. The attack, which reportedly involved two missiles, hit a densely populated residential area in Haret Hreik.

Israeli authorities identified the intended target as Haytham Ali Tabatabai, described by Israel as Hezbollah’s chief of staff. Hezbollah has not confirmed whether Tabatabai was wounded or killed.

Casualties and local response

Emergency crews arrived quickly at the scene and transported the wounded to nearby hospitals. Eyewitness footage circulated on social platforms showed residents gathered near the damaged building and a large plume of smoke over the neighbourhood. Officials reported significant damage to parked cars and adjacent buildings.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the international community to intervene and stop attacks on Lebanon and its people, urging responsible and firm action to protect civilians.

Analysts' assessment and wider context

Analysts said the absence of prior warning suggested the operation aimed at a high-value target. Souhaib Jawher, a nonresident fellow at the Alternative Policy Institute, said the strike demonstrated limits on the Lebanese state’s ability to prevent such attacks and described the operation as a pressure tactic that falls short of a full ground invasion.

Observers note the strike occurred despite a ceasefire that took effect roughly a year ago to halt full-scale fighting. Israel and the United States have been pressing Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah; in response, Lebanon’s military presented a government-approved plan this year intended to disarm armed groups nationwide by year’s end. Hezbollah has rejected disarmament while hostilities and strikes continue.

Earlier this week, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reported that at least 13 people were killed in an air strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon. State reporting also described a separate drone strike that hit a car in the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp near Sidon.

The strike in Dahiyeh underscores continuing tensions along the Israel-Lebanon front and raises concerns about further escalation and the protection of civilians in densely populated urban areas.

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