Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Friday condemned Israel’s killing of top commander Haitham Ali al Tabtabai, calling it a “deliberate crime” and stressing that the group reserves the right to retaliate at a time of its choosing. The comments marked Qassem’s first public reaction since Israel announced on Sunday that it had killed Tabtabai, Hezbollah’s chief of staff, in an air strike targeting Beirut’s southern suburb. The attack left five people dead and 25 wounded. Hezbollah confirmed Tabtabai’s death in the attack.
