Hezbollah Leaders Killed in Israeli Strike

AFP/APP

Beirut: Hezbollah was left reeling on Saturday after Israel targeted two leaders of its elite Radwan Force during a strike on a command meeting in a stronghold in southern Beirut.

The Lebanese Health Minister, Firass Abiad, confirmed that 31 people were killed in the attack, including three children.

The strike, which hit an underground command center, caused massive destruction in a densely populated neighborhood, leaving a crater and flattening a residential building.

Among those killed were Ibrahim Aqil, the head of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, and several senior commanders, including Ahmed Mahmud Wahbi, who led operations against Israel until earlier this year.

Israel’s military confirmed the strike, stating that it was targeting Hezbollah’s infrastructure in Lebanon.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared that Israel’s enemies would find no refuge, not even in Beirut’s southern suburbs. The Israeli military also said it had launched additional strikes on Hezbollah targets but did not provide further details.

Aqil had been a key figure in Hezbollah’s operations, with the United States offering a $7 million reward for information on him due to his involvement in the 1983 bombing of the US embassy in Beirut, which killed 63 people.

Hezbollah has hailed Aqil as one of its great leaders, despite the heavy blow to its operational capabilities.

This attack follows months of cross-border exchanges between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli troops, which escalated after the start of the Gaza war in October.

Hezbollah’s command has been under heavy pressure, particularly following sabotage attacks earlier in the week that destroyed communication devices, killing 37 people in Hezbollah strongholds.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the escalating violence and called for restraint from all sides. Iran has accused Israel of seeking to expand the conflict, while Hamas condemned the strikes as acts of brutal aggression.

Hezbollah’s chief, Hassan Nasrallah, has vowed retaliation for the attacks, as tensions remain high on Israel’s northern border, with hundreds killed in Lebanon and dozens more in Israel and the Golan Heights over the past months.

Gallant warned that Hezbollah will continue to pay a heavy price as Israel seeks to secure its northern borders and bring its citizens back to safety.