Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered an address on Sunday following the elimination of Hezbollah military chief of staff Haytham Ali Tabataba'i.
"A few hours ago, the IDF eliminated Haytham Ali Tabataba'i, the chief of staff of the Hezbollah terror organization. Tabataba'i was a mass murderer. His hands were full of the blood of many Israelis and Americans; it is not for no reason that the United States offered a five-million-dollar prize for his head. Tabataba'i served as a senior commander in the Radwan Force. This is the force that planned to conquer the Galilee and slaughter many of our citizens," Netanyahu stated.
He noted that "recently, he led Hezbollah's renewed efforts to rearm, which was, of course, after the heavy blows that Hezbollah was dealt in the Pager Operation, the damage to its missile supply, and, of course, the elimination of Nasrallah. I thank the IDF and the security forces who conducted a professional, precise, and successful operation today."
"The policy I am leading is absolutely clear: Under my leadership, the State of Israel will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its power, and we will not allow it to pose a threat to the State of Israel again," Netanyahu declared. "I expect the Government of Lebanon to fulfill its commitment to disarm Hezbollah. Because only in this way can a better future be made possible for every citizen in Lebanon, and only in this way can good and secure neighborly relations be established between Israel and Lebanon."
The Prime Minister added, "On this occasion, I also want to commend President Trump on his decision to outlaw and designate the 'Muslim Brotherhood' organization as a terrorist organization. This is an organization that endangers stability throughout the Middle East and also beyond the Middle East. Therefore, the State of Israel has already outlawed part of the organization, and we are working to complete this action soon."