by Amichai Stein, Miriam Sela-Eitam
US sources claim that they were notified of the strikes as they were happening, despite earlier Israeli officials saying that the US had been told in advance.
The IDF conducted a targeted strike against Hezbollah's second-in-command and military commander, Ali Tabatabai, in Beirut on Sunday, the Prime Minister's Office confirmed.
Tabatabai's fate is currently unknown.
The IDF had earlier confirmed that it had struck "a key Hezbollah terrorist" in the Lebanese capital.
"Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu ordered the strike on the recommendation of the Defense Minister and the IDF Chief of Staff," the Prime Minister's Office confirmed in a post to X/Twitter on Sunday afternoon.
The Prime Minister's Office:
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) November 23, 2025
A short while ago, in the heart of Beirut, the IDF attacked the Hezbollah Chief-of-Staff, who had been leading the terrorist organization's buildup and rearmament.
The strike targeted a hidden apartment belonging to Tabatabai in Beirut.
At least twenty-one have been reportedly wounded in the strike, according to Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese outlet Al Mayadeen.
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US sources claim that they were notified of the strikes as they were happening, despite earlier Israeli officials saying that the US had been told in advance.
"All the talk that 'we must receive approvals for this' from one source or another is simply an absolute lie," Netanyahu said in a statement to the Security Cabinet on Sunday morning.
"We operate independently of anyone. Immediate actions to thwart attacks are taken by the IDF automatically," he said. "As for the responses, that goes through the Defense Minister and eventually reaches me, and we decide independently of any factor, and that is how it should be."
"Israel is responsible for its own security," he added.
IDF strikes Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, kills two
The IDF's strike on Tabatabai follows a number of Saturday strikes on Hezbollah launchers and military sites in southern Lebanon."The IDF struck several Hezbollah launchers that were recently identified and placed in military sites in southern Lebanon," the military said on Saturday. "In an additional strike in the Bekaa area, the IDF struck two Hezbollah military sites in which activity of terrorists was identified, including weapons storage facilities and additional military structures."
The IDF continued, noting that the Hezbollah military assets and activities violated the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.
Home Front Command has not announced a change in security guidelines at this time.
This is a developing story.
Amichai Stein, Miriam Sela-Eitam
Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-874901
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