Israel assassinated, on Friday, the commander of Hezbollah’s special operations unit, Ibrahim Aqil, in a raid targeting him in the heart of Beirut’s southern suburb, in the crowded al-Jamous area, which led to the collapse of two buildings and the killing of at least 15 people, including children, and the wounding of 66, according to what the Lebanese Ministry of Health announced..
In turn, Channel 12 revealed details about the assassination operation, and Channel 12 said: “The army officially confirmed the killing of Ibrahim Aqil, the second man in Hezbollah, and with him a series of leaders of the Radwan Force.”
The channel indicated that “according to reports, Aqil was released from the hospital today (Friday) after being injured as a result of the explosion of the wireless communication devices that occurred last Tuesday and Wednesday” and he was under observation until the raid occurred.
“The Hezbollah leaders we eliminated today had been planning for October 7 on the northern border for years,” Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said after the assassination. “We have reached them and we will reach anyone who threatens the security of the citizens of the State of Israel.” In an unusually succinct message on Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Our goals are clear, and our actions speak for themselves.”
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant also commented on the assassination via his account on the “X” platform, saying: “I have now completed the situation assessment with the Chief of Staff and senior IDF officers in light of the developments in the northern sector and the targeted action to eliminate Hezbollah’s operational elite.”
He added: “Even in the suburbs of Beirut – we will continue to pursue our enemy to protect our citizens. The sequence of actions will continue in the new phase until we achieve our goal: the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes.”
According to Channel 12: “The Israeli army attack targeted the ground floor of a residential building in the suburb of the Lebanese capital. The building partially collapsed.”
“We are at a high level of readiness, both in defense and attack,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement. “At this stage there is no change in the Home Front Command directives, and we will update any changes immediately.”
He added: “We are fighting to achieve all the goals of the war: in Gaza we are fighting primarily to dismantle Hamas and return the kidnapped soldiers to Israel, and in the north to return the residents to their homes.”
Hagari stressed that “the IDF will continue to operate wherever required, and we pledge to inform the public of any change in the Home Front Command’s directives.”
Ibrahim Aqil, head of the special operations team and a member of Hezbollah’s military council that oversees the party’s military and security operations, is a veteran commander in the Lebanese party’s ranks and serves as a vanguard of fighters in the Radwan Force (Hezbollah’s elite unit) against Israel.
“Israel did not notify us before the attack in Beirut,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, adding that the United States “still believes that a diplomatic solution to the fighting on the border between Israel and Lebanon is possible. We are waiting for the completion of the evacuation of the victims, and we will have a response to what happened.”
Last updated: September 21, 2024 – 11:47
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2024-09-23 05:26:00