Hours after the IDF killed Hezbollah's chief of staff Haytham 'Ali Tabataba'i in the Dahiyeh quarter of Beirut Earlier in the day, the terrorist organization published an official photograph of Tabataba'i and confirmed his death. A senior American official said Washington "is working in close cooperation with the Lebanese" and emphasized that the attack was not coordinated ahead of time.
"The strike on Hezbollah's chief of staff was not pre-coordinated," the official told Israel Hayom, adding that in the US "we were updated only right after it happened. As I understand it, this was a target of opportunity for the Israelis and they took advantage of the chance to hit him."
The official also said, "It is clear that Hezbollah is a designated terrorist organization by the US, with a great deal of American blood on its hands, so no one is mourning the loss."
He continued, "We are working in close cooperation with the Lebanese to make sure this remains contained and to try to prevent Hezbollah from responding. I do not think eliminating the head of the terrorist organization's military wing undermines the effort to demilitarize Lebanon."
According to the IDF, the Israeli Air Force eliminated Hezbollah's number two and de facto chief of staff on Sunday afternoon in a safe house in Beirut. This was the first Israeli strike in the Dahiyeh since June and the operation was given the name "Black Friday". About four hours after the attack, the IDF confirmed that Tabataba'i had been killed and released footage of the strike. An hour later, Hezbollah also confirmed his death.
Earlier reports said that an Israeli official had confirmed the strike was coordinated with the Americans. Later, a political source clarified that Israel had updated the Americans only afterward, though "Washington knew we were planning to intensify our strikes against Hezbollah."
