On Friday, September 20th, the Israeli military and two Lebanese security sources reported that Ibrahim Aqil, a senior commander of Hezbollah, was killed in an airstrike by the Israeli army in the southern suburbs of Beirut. The United States Department of State had put a $7 million bounty on Aqil.
According to the Israeli military, Aqil held a position in Hezbollah’s highest military structure and was currently serving as the acting commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force. He was killed alongside other senior commanders of the force during the airstrike.
A Lebanese security source told Reuters that Aqil was killed while in a meeting with members of the Radwan force.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry stated that the initial death toll from the Israeli airstrike was 9 people, with 59 others injured.
The Israeli military, on Friday, stated that they conducted a “targeted strike” in Beirut but did not disclose further details.
This attack delivered another blow to Hezbollah. Earlier in the week, Hezbollah suffered unprecedented attacks where pagers and walkie-talkies used by organization members exploded, resulting in 37 deaths and thousands injured. This attack was widely believed to be carried out by Israel, although Israel neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.
Aqil’s death marked the second strike by Israel against major military commanders of Hezbollah in Beirut within two months. In July, Israel killed the organization’s top military commander, Fuad Shukr, in an airstrike.
Sources told CNN that Aqil, a senior military figure of Hezbollah, was the target of Israel’s attack in southern Beirut, which flattened a building, resulting in at least eight deaths and dozens injured.
Last year, marking the 40th anniversary of Hezbollah’s bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in 1983, the U.S. Department of State announced a $7 million bounty to obtain information on the organization’s key leader, Aqil.
The U.S. accuses Aqil of involvement in the 1983 Embassy bombing that claimed 63 lives. Later that year, in an explosion orchestrated by Hezbollah targeting the U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, 241 American personnel were killed.
The “Rewards for Justice” program of the U.S. State Department offers rewards to those providing information on terrorists. The agency stated that Aqil held a position in Hezbollah’s highest military structure.
Following the Beirut attack, alarms were sounded in northern Israel. Israeli media reported intense rocket attacks in northern Israel.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching Katyusha rockets towards the main intelligence headquarters in northern Israel, as the headquarters were “responsible for assassination operations.”
John Kirby, a White House National Security Council official, stated that there were no clear notifications from Israel to the U.S. prior to the Beirut attack. Kirby strongly advised Americans against traveling to Lebanon and urged U.S. citizens in Lebanon to evacuate promptly.
“War on the Blue Line is not inevitable, and we will continue to make every effort to prevent war.,” Kirby said regarding the Lebanon-Israel border.
Witnesses reported hearing aircraft noise over Beirut during the attack and saw a plume of smoke rising from the targeted area.
The Israeli military reported, “The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) conducted a targeted strike in Beirut. Currently, there is no change in guidance from the rear command regarding defense measures.”
Video footage showed a severely damaged building in Beirut, with streets filled with debris and burned-out cars.
Thursday night witnessed the most intense airstrike operation by the Israeli military in southern Lebanon since the conflict erupted nearly a year ago.
This conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is the most severe since their 2006 war. The current clashes are mostly contained along the border or border adjacent areas, though concerns remain about escalating tensions.
The Israeli military reported that General Herzi Halevi, Chief of Staff of the Army, held meetings on Friday morning with the Northern Command Commander and other division commanders.
Israeli newspapers reported that in light of the current situation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York would be delayed by a day and he would now arrive on Wednesday.
The Iranian Embassy in Lebanon strongly condemned Israel’s aggressive attack on the residential building in the southern suburbs of Beirut in the strongest terms.