Things between Israel and Lebanon just escalated in a major way on Sunday, as the Israeli military launched a major attack on the capital of Beirut, in what later announced as another targeted strikes on top Hezbollah leadership.

The Israeli military (IDF) announced that it "eliminated" Hezbollah’s chief of staff Haytham Ali Tabatabai, after Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) reported that two missiles were fired at an apartment building on al-Arid Street in Haret Hreik neighbourhood of Dahiyeh. 

A large plume of smoke could be seen rising above the area, said to be a Hezbollah stronghold of southern Beirut, and extensive damage to cars and surround buildings resulted.

At least five people were killed, and another 28 were wounded in the assault which came without warning, and has been strongly condemned by both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government.

An official statement from Hezbollah didn't immediately confirm the killing of Tabatabai but said it "breaches a new red line" - following recent weeks of a series of escalating Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, despite the ceasefire having long officially been in place.

Hezbollah's statement alluded to the ceasefire, saying that "agreements are useless with the enemy" and that "We are coordinating with the Lebanese state to put an end to this Israeli violation."

The New York Times too has admitted that "the attack on Sunday — the assassination of a senior Hezbollah leader near the Lebanese capital — was a new escalation."

Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr has explained from Beirut, "There’s still no confirmation, but the very fact that this Israeli strike happened without an evacuation order, without a prior warning if you will, really suggests that they were after a high profile figure or a high-value target."

A busy, densely packed neighborhood was rocked by Israeli missiles during the daytime hours of Sunday...

"Israel said the person killed was Haytham Ali Tabatabai. He is believed to be the number two of the movement, one of the founding members of the organization. A very keen military figure; a man wanted by the United States, which designated him as a terrorist. There’s a $5m bounty on his whereabouts," she added.

Khodr's statement pointed to the likelihood of Israel still maintaining well-placed intelligence assets within Hezbollah, as she called it "a major security breach".

Since the 'pager attacks' as well as the September 2024 killing of Hezbollah founder and Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, Israel has been on a roll in terms of largely decimating Hezbollah's leadership and capabilities.

Currently the Shia militant group with ties to Iran has been in talks with the Lebanese government to potentially disarm, at least in some areas of the country, also amid pressure from Washington.