The Israeli military launched an airstrike in Beirut on Friday, targeting a senior Hezbollah commander linked to past bombings that claimed hundreds of lives. This strike marks the second attempt by Israel in recent months to eliminate a top Hezbollah figure in Lebanon’s capital, intensifying fears of a potential full-scale war in the region. The strikes are a response to Hezbollah’s strikes on Northern Israel. Earlier today, around 140 rockets were fired by Hezbollah, targeting Northern Israel.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that at least eight people were killed and dozens more injured in the airstrike. However, it remains unclear whether the target, Ibrahim Aqeel, was among the casualties. Aqeel has been identified by the United States as a key player in two terrorist attacks in 1983 that resulted in the deaths of over 300 individuals at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut and the U.S. Marine Corps barracks.
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According to a report from the New York Times, four officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the operation, confirmed that Aqeel was the intended target of the strike. The U.S. State Department had previously issued a $7 million reward for information leading to his identification or capture, highlighting his role in directing the taking of American and German hostages in Lebanon during the 1980s. Aqeel also serves on Hezbollah’s highest military body, known as the Jihad Council.
In the aftermath of the strike, Lebanese news networks aired images showing extensive damage in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah. Witnesses described a chaotic scene as ambulances rushed to assist the injured.
This recent attack follows a July airstrike that killed another Hezbollah leader, Fuad Shukr, who was also wanted by the U.S. government for his involvement in the same 1983 attacks. As tensions continue to escalate between Israel and Hezbollah, both sides remain on high alert, with the threat of further military actions looming large in an already volatile landscape.
Israeli Military Conducts ‘Targeted Strike’ In Beirut, Top Hezbollah Official Among 8 Killed world-news World News | Latest International News | Global World News | World News Today
