BEIRUT: As the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is set to enter its second year on Friday, alarm bells are ringing louder than ever about the prospect of renewed conflict in Lebanon.
The killing last Sunday of Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s military chief and its second most powerful figure after Secretary-General Naim Qassem, in a brazen attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs has shattered hopes for lasting stability.
Whether Hezbollah responds with military action or settles for a diplomatic rebuke — as some within the group have suggested — could determine whether the ceasefire survives.
The strike represents the fifth Israeli operation targeting the southern suburbs since Nov. 27, 2024, and the second to occur without advance warning.
Official records document 5,350 Israeli violations of the ceasefire over 12 months. These breaches have claimed more than 340 lives — mostly Hezbollah fighters and commanders, but also civilians, children, and women — and wounded over 650 others.
