Israel announced on Friday that it killed Ibrahim Aqil, commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit, in a strike that Lebanese officials reported left 12 dead and many more injured in a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut.
Aqil was also wanted by the United States for his involvement in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. embassy in Beirut.
According to AFP journalists, the explosion left a massive crater and severely damaged the lower floors of a high-rise building in southern Beirut, an area controlled by Hezbollah.
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Aqil’s death follows a similar Israeli strike in July that killed Fuad Shukr, another senior Hezbollah figure.
These attacks come amid escalating tensions, shifting the focus of the conflict from Gaza to Lebanon.
The Israeli military confirmed targeting Aqil, saying around 10 other senior commanders were also killed in the strike. Lebanon’s health ministry reported that 12 people died and 66 were wounded.
Hezbollah has not yet officially confirmed Aqil’s death, though it has launched rockets at an Israeli intelligence base in retaliation.
Aqil had a $7 million bounty offered by the U.S. for information on his whereabouts due to his role in the 1983 bombing that killed 63 people.
This escalation on Israel’s northern border, combined with border clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, has raised concerns of a broader regional conflict.
Both sides have sustained casualties, and thousands have been displaced due to the violence.
International efforts, led by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, are underway to prevent further escalation, with a focus on achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and preventing the conflict from spreading across the region.
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