Israel escalates threats against Lebanon following Haytham Tabtabai’s assassination

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Israel has escalated its threats toward Lebanon and Hezbollah following the assassination of the party’s leader, Haytham Tabtabai.

Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir indicated the possibility of a new round of fighting, not only with Lebanon but also with Iran.

According to a security official, Tabtabai’s assassination sends two messages: One to the Lebanese government and army, and specifically to Hezbollah, signaling that Israel will not accept the party’s efforts to rebuild its military arsenal.

The other message is that Israel will continue operations to reduce Hezbollah’s military strength, including undermining its leadership.

Following Tabtabai’s killing, security and military agencies held assessment meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. Israel also raised its state of alert and conducted army drills simulating a sudden Hezbollah attack.

On Monday, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visited the northern command, touring the border area with Lebanon and holding meetings with regional leadership. The visit coincided with heightened alert not only along the border but also at all Israeli embassies and missions abroad.