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People and members of the military inspect the site of an Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, September 20, 2024. (Reuters)
An IDF strike targeting Hezbollah’s Radwan commanders in Beirut killed Ibrahim Aqil and others during a meeting
Taking advantage of a narrow “operational opportunity,” an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday struck a meeting of the elite Radwan Force, killing IDF’s top Hezbollah, target Ibrahim Aqil. The strike occurred in a parking lot in the Dahieh neighbourhood, where some 20 commanders were gathered for discussions, the Jerusalem Post reported.
The meeting reportedly happened on the second underground level of the parking structure. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) executed the strike using four missiles, which caused significant structural damage and led to the collapse of the floor where the meeting was held. This IDF operation, according to reports, was planned after intelligence emerged about Ibrahim Aqil and other senior leaders were convening a meeting in an underground location.
‘Necessary opportunity for execution’
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, who was visiting northern Israel at the time, approved the strike after receiving immediate intelligence. Israeli security officials characterised the attack as a “necessary opportunity for execution,” emphasising its strategic significance in the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah. “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 Dahiyah neighborhood, hiding among Lebanese civilians, using them as human shields,” an IDF spokesperson said in a post on X.
“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 Dahiyah neighborhood, hiding among Lebanese civilians, using them as human shields.”Listen to a statement by IDF Spokesperson,… pic.twitter.com/G3ZmLzxTPW
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 20, 2024
The airstrike is seen as a major escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, with Israeli officials stating that it marks a new phase in the war. The explosion tore into the building’s lower levels as Aqil met other commanders inside. Witnesses reported hearing a loud whistling and several consecutive blasts at the time of the strike. Hezbollah confirmed Aqil’s death just after midnight and called him “one of its top leaders.”
The Iranian-backed outfit has promised retaliation, heightening fears of further escalation in violence along the Israel-Lebanon border. In a later statement summarising Aqil’s biography, Hezbollah said he was killed in Beirut’s southern suburbs of Dahiyeh in what it called a “treacherous Israeli assassination”. Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 14 people died in the strike and the toll was expected to climb as rescue teams worked through the night.
