ISTANBUL

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 emphasized that the group reserves the right to retaliate at a time of its choosing.

The comments marked Qassem’s first public reaction after Israel announced Sunday that it had killed Tabtabai, Hezbollah’s chief of staff, in an airstrike that targeted Beirut’s southern suburb.

Speaking at a memorial event for the slain commander, Qassem reiterated that “what happened is a blatant attack and a deliberate crime, and we have the right to respond –we will determine the timing ourselves.”

Sunday’s strike on the southern suburb left five people dead and 25 wounded. Hezbollah confirmed Tabtabai’s death in the attack.

Hezbollah confirmed that Tabtabai was killed in the attack.