Published On 23/11/2025
|
Last update: 23:40 (Mecca time)
The Israeli air strike that rocked the southern suburb of Beirut and targeted a prominent Hezbollah military leader raised questions about the nature of coordination between Washington and Tel Aviv before carrying out the strike, amid fears of a new escalation.
Walid Al-Omari, director of Al Jazeera’s office in Palestine, said that the information being circulated indicates that Israel has “clear American cover” to continue escalating its military operations in Lebanon, in exchange for reducing the level of tension in the Gaza Strip.
Al-Omari confirmed – during an intervention on Al-Jazeera – that the Israeli security establishment does not expect a substantive response from Hezbollah to the assassination of Al-Tabtabai.
After the raid, a Lebanese security source reported to Al Jazeera that Hezbollah military commander Haitham al-Tabtabai was assassinated in the Israeli raid on the suburb, which resulted in the killing of 5 people and the injury of 28 others, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Israel described Al-Tabtabai (known as Abu Ali Al-Tabtabai) as Hezbollah’s acting chief of staff and the party’s second-in-command.
Later, Hezbollah announced – in a statement – that “the great jihadi leader Haitham Al-Tabtabai was martyred as a result of a treacherous Israeli aggression on the southern suburb.”
For his part, former US State Department official Thomas Warrick confirmed that Washington was informed of the strike, but was not informed of the identity of the target.
Warrick indicated – during his speech to Al Jazeera – that Al-Tabtabai is classified by the United States as a terrorist, expressing his conviction that Israel “will not allow its citizens in the north to be threatened in light of the party’s efforts to rebuild its military capabilities.”
However, Axios quoted a senior American official as saying, “Israel did not inform us in advance of the attack on the southern suburb, but we were informed immediately after it occurred.” The official explained, “We knew for days that Israel was planning escalation in Lebanon, but we did not know the timing of the strike.”
In the same context, Al Jazeera’s correspondent at the US Department of Defense (Pentagon), Fadi Mansour, quoted an American official with extensive knowledge of military communications between Washington and Tel Aviv that Israel had informed the United States in advance about carrying out the strike.
But this official declined to confirm whether Washington had received details about the identity of the target or given a direct “green light” for the operation.
The source indicated that Washington considers the situation between Israel and Lebanon “very fragile,” and that Israel’s increase in the level of its military operations is due to two factors: the Lebanese army’s ability to complete the disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani River, which the Americans see as insufficient due to limited capabilities and political mandate, as well as Israeli security estimates that the party is rebuilding itself and strengthening its military capabilities.
And intensify The Israeli occupation army Since last October, he has launched attacks on Lebanon, with continued media leaks about plans to launch a new attack on it.
Since signing Ceasefire agreement The last with Hezbollah on November 27, 2024. Israel violates the agreement daily, leaving hundreds dead and wounded.