Hezbollah chief vows retaliation after Israel kills senior commander

Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem declared on Friday that the Lebanese militant group reserves the right to respond to Israel’s recent strike that killed its top military chief, Haytham Ali Tabtabai, in Beirut’s southern suburbs last week, the Al Jazeera reported.

Speaking on television, Qassem described the assassination as “a blatant aggression and a heinous crime”, asserting that Hezbollah will decide the timing and nature of any response.

Asked whether this could escalate into a full-scale war, Qassem acknowledged both possibilities: “Do you expect a war later? It’s possible, sometime. Yes, this possibility is there, and the possibility of no war is also there.” While he did not specify Hezbollah’s role in any potential conflict, he urged Lebanon to prepare a comprehensive strategy relying on its army and its people to confront Israel.

Qassem also expressed hope that the upcoming visit of Pope Leo to Lebanon might play a role in restoring peace and ending Israeli aggression. He emphasised that Hezbollah has adhered to the November 2024 ceasefire, which sought to halt over a year of hostilities with Israel, while demanding an end to ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory.

He further detailed that Tabtabai had been in a strategic meeting with four aides to plan future operations when he was struck, underscoring the targeted nature of the Israeli strike.

Responding to Qassem’s remarks, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee criticized the Lebanese army’s efforts to seize Hezbollah weapons in southern Lebanon, calling them “inadequate”. He warned that Hezbollah continues to manipulate the army and covertly maintain its arsenal.

Hezbollah, however, maintains that it will not relinquish its weapons as long as Israel continues attacks on Lebanese territory and maintains military positions at five locations across southern Lebanon, signaling a tense standoff that could shape the region’s fragile security landscape.