Hezbollah weighs response after Israel kills senior commander

Hezbollah has not yet indicated how it plans to respond to Israel’s assassination of senior commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai, a killing that has intensified fears of a wider confrontation.

Mahmoud Qmati, the group’s deputy head of its Political Council, called the strike “yet another ceasefire violation” and accused Israel of stepping up its attacks “with the green light given by the United States”. His remarks reflect growing anger in Beirut over repeated Israeli raids despite the truce announced last November.

Israel has continued to hit southern Lebanon throughout the ceasefire period, with Hezbollah largely absorbing the blows to avoid a rapid escalation.