The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the killing of Ibrahim Aqil, the alleged head of
Hezbollah's Operations Unit, in an intelligence-based strike in Beirut.
The attack also killed several members of Hezbollah's Operations Staff and commanders from the Radwan Unit.
Sharing the details of the conduct of the strike, the IDF claimed that Aqil and other commanders were planning a significant attack against Israel, called the "Conquer the Galilee" plan.
How Israel took out Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil
According to the IDF, this plan involved infiltrating Israeli communities and targeting civilians. "I can now confirm that Ibrahim Aqil was eliminated together with other senior terrorists in Hezbollah's Radwan forces. Ibrahim Aqil had the blood of many innocent people on his hands. Israelis, Americans, French, Lebanese and more," said IDF spokesperson, RAdm. Daniel Hagari, a few hours after the strike.
The IDF said their mission to eliminate the threat posed by Hezbollah.
"Hezbollah is an internationally recognized terrorist organization. It is a threat to the people of Israel, the people of Lebanon, the Middle east and the entire world. Since October 8, Hezbollah has fired over 8000 rockets, missiles and explosive UAV's at Israeli civilians forcing over 60,000 Israelis to evacuate from their homes. Just today, Hezbollah fired over 200 rockets at Israel. The Israel Defense Forces has a duty to defend the people of Israel and ensure their safe and secure return to their homes in northern Israel," said Hagari.
Accusing the Radwan forces of planning "to do in northern Israel what Hamas did in southern Israel on October 7, invade Israeli homes and kill innocent people," the IDF spokesperson further talked about the criminal past of the slain commander.
He said, "During the 1980s, Aqil was a principal member of Islamic Jihad Organisation, Hezbollah's terror cell that claimed the bombings of the US embassy in Beirut in April 1983 which killed 63 people and the US marine barracks bombing in October 1983 which killed 241 US personnel. Ibrahim Akil also directed the kidnapping of Americans and Germans in Lebanon."
The IDF indicated that Aqil and the Radwan commanders were planning more attacks with the help of Hezbollah's 'conquer the Galilee invasion plan' when they were targeted. "At the time of the strike, Aqil and the commanders of the Radwan forces were gathered underground under a residential building in the heart of the Dakha in Beirut hiding among Lebanese civilians, using them as human shields. They were in the middle of planning more terror attacks against Israeli civilians," said Hagari adding that Israel's focus on "protecting the people of Israel" and the to bring the "hostages home and ensuring an enduring defeat of Hamas in Gaza".
Hezbollah warns Israel
Hezbollah expressed its outrage after Commander Ibrahim Aqil and at least ten other fighters were killed in the airstrike The organisation released a statement condemning Israel for its actions, calling it a "grave mistake" that will face consequences. The statement described Aqil as a "great leader" and pledged to persist in his mission until "ultimate victory" is achieved.
Support from Hamas
Hamas declared its support for Hezbollah, offering to participate in their mission of vengeance against Israel. Expressing its grief over the death of Aqil, the Palestinian terror group condemned the act, calling it a “crime” and “folly” for which Israel will “pay the price.”
Another Hezbollah commander killed
After confirmed death of commander Aquil by Israeli military, Hezbollah announced on Saturday that Ahmed Wahbi, their top commander, had been killed in an Israeli attack on the outskirts of Beirut. Wahbi, who was responsible for directing the military operations of the Radwan special forces during the Gaza conflict until the beginning of 2024, was "eliminated on Friday."
Israel-Hezbollah conflict
Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have escalated sharply, with deadly strikes on both sides. Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut, while Hezbollah launched rocket attacks into northern Israel. The situation risks spiraling into a larger war, potentially destabilising the region further. Both sides are reinforcing their positions, but no official decisions on a broader conflict have been made yet.
Lebanon under attack by pagers and walkie-talkies
Lebanon has been shaken by a series of coordinated explosions over the past two days, with pagers and two-way radios used by Hezbollah militants detonating in their hands, homes, and offices—even during funerals. These seemingly ordinary communication devices turned into lethal weapons, killing at least 30 people and injuring thousands more.
The attacks are believed to be part of Israel's covert war against Hezbollah, which has been launching rockets into northern Israel for nearly a year. The precision and scale of the explosions point to meticulous planning by one of the most intricate operations of Israel’s intelligence agency - Mossad.
Exchange of fire between Israel-Hezbollah
The IDF also reported ongoing strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, aiming to reduce its terrorist capabilities and infrastructure. The recent focus on these operations reflects a shift in Israel's strategy towards securing the northern region. Israel launched a targeted strike on a Hezbollah bastion on Friday, situated in the southern part of Beirut, resulting in the death of at least eight people and leaving 17 wounded. Residents of the southern suburbs reported hearing a powerful explosion, followed by the sight of a dense plume of smoke ascending over the capital city of Lebanon.
The hit was aimed at a specific location known to be a stronghold of the Hezbollah militant group.
Meanwhile, in an earlier attack, Hezbollah had launched a series of rocket attacks targeting various locations along the Israeli-Lebanese border. The Israeli military reported that the rockets were fired in three separate waves, with a total of 140 rockets launched.
According to the Israeli military, 120 missiles targeted areas in the Golan Heights, Safed, and the Upper Galilee, with some being intercepted. Fire crews were dispatched to extinguish fires caused by debris that had fallen in various locations. The military did not report any casualties or successful missile strikes on targets. An additional 20 missiles were launched at the areas of Meron and Netua, with most landing in open areas and no injuries reported.