Israel Says Strike On Lebanon Killed Hezbollah Commander Wanted By U.S. For 1983 Bombings
by Ty Roush · ForbesTopline
What Israel called a “targeted strike” in Lebanon on Friday killed Ibrahim Aqil, a senior member of the Hezbollah militant group wanted by the U.S. for a series of bombings in the 1980s, according to Israeli officials, while reports suggest at least 14 people have been killed and more than 60 others injured in the attack.
Key Facts
Israel Defense Forces said the strike targeted an area in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, the first direct bomb strike by Israel on Lebanon since July, though details of the attack were not disclosed.
Aqil was the target of Israel’s strikes and was killed in the attack, according to the IDF.
The IDF said Thursday it had struck targets belonging to Hezbollah, including 30 launchers and “terrorist infrastructure sites.”
Israel’s assault follows earlier strikes by Hezbollah, which reportedly fired 140 rockets into northern Israel on Friday after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed retaliation for the rash of deadly explosive devices.
More than 40 people were killed and over 3,000 were injured after walkie-talkies, solar equipment and other devices exploded across Lebanon on Wednesday, after pagers exploded in the country and Syria on Tuesday, seemingly targeting Hezbollah targets.
Those attacks are widely believed to have been carried out by Israel, which has not denied responsibility.
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Crucial Quote
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. had “no involvement” in the attacks, emphasizing he believes “that there is time and space for a diplomatic solution” to prevent the conflict from escalating. The White House previously said it was “afraid and concerned about potential escalation” in the region.
Who Is Ibrahim Aqil?
The U.S. has accused Aqil for two terrorist attacks that killed hundreds of Americans in 1983. In the 1980s, Aqil was a member of the Islamic Jihad, and he was implicated in the militant group’s two attacks in 1983: A bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, that killed 63 people, and the bombing of a Marine Corps barracks, which killed 241 American personnel. Another Hezbollah leader responsible for the attacks, Fuad Shukr, was killed in an Israeli strike in July. Aqil also directed the kidnapping of American and German hostages in Lebanon in the 1980s, according to the State Department, which previously offered $7 million for information leading to his arrest.
Key Background
Hezbollah—a militant group in Lebanon backed by Iran that the U.S. has designated a terrorist organization—struck the Israeli military along the Lebanon border after the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel in October, and the conflict has escalated in recent months. The IDF last targeted Beirut in July while targeting Shukr, whom Israel blamed for killing 12 people in a suburb near southern Lebanon. Israeli officials reportedly told the U.S. they would carry out an unspecified operation in Lebanon earlier this week before pagers exploded across the country. Other reports suggest the U.S. believes Israel planted the explosive before the pagers reached Hezbollah, which blamed Israel for “this criminal aggression that also harmed civilians and caused death and injuries.” The U.S. and officials from other countries have warned Israel against escalating a conflict with Lebanon, it will become a proxy war that eventually could draw in its sponsor, Iran, and eventually the U.S.