Israel counterattack

Beirut: Second top Hezbollah commander killed

Israel had overrun Lebanon with air strikes on the Hezbollah leadership.

(Bild: AFP)

Israel's army dealt the Lebanese Hezbollah militia another heavy blow on Friday with a deadly attack on its leadership. After Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran, initially confirmed the death of Ibrahim Aqil, the death of high-ranking commander Ahmed Wahbi of the pro-Iranian Shiite militia was also announced on Saturday. He was also killed in the Israeli air strike in Beirut the previous day, according to Hezbollah.

Hezbollah military commander Ibrahim Aqil was the mastermind behind a plan to carry out a similarly devastating attack on Israel as the terrorist attack by the militant Palestinian organization Hamas on 7 October last year, said Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari. In reference to Aqil, Hezbollah spoke of the martyrdom of one of its "great leaders". According to the Israeli army, around ten commanders of the Hezbollah elite force Radwan were also killed in Beirut on Friday.

Dozens killed in attacks
According to Lebanese reports, at least 14 people were killed in the attack in a densely populated suburb of the capital. At least 66 others were injured. According to media reports, Aqil was the successor to military commander Fuad Shukr, who was also killed by Israel on August 30. Aqil was the de facto commander of the elite Radwan force, said Hagari. In this function, he was responsible for anti-tank, explosives and air defense operations, among other things. The man had organized numerous terrorist attacks and attempts to infiltrate Israel.

Dozens of people were killed in the attacks.

(Bild: AFP)

"Aqil had large amounts of blood on his hands" and was "responsible for the deaths of many innocent civilians", said Hagari. As Israel's ally, the USA had put a bounty of seven million dollars (around 6.27 million euros) on Aqil's head. Aqil was also the mastermind behind a plan by the Hezbollah militia to attack northern Israel, said Hagari. This "plan to conquer the Galilee" envisaged "infiltrating Israel, taking control of the communities in the Galilee and killing and kidnapping Israeli civilians, similar to what Hamas did on October 7," Hagari said.

Warning of the danger of a "major war"
In that attack on October 7, 2023, terrorists from Hezbollah-aligned Hamas and other extremist groups killed more than 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped around 250 others as hostages in the Gaza Strip. This triggered the Gaza war. Since then, Israel and Hezbollah have been firing at each other almost daily. The militia does not want to stop its attacks until there is a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib sees the danger of a major war.

"Either this council forces Israel to stop its aggression," Bou Habib told the UN Security Council in New York, "or we will be silent witnesses to the great explosion that is looming on the horizon today." Before it is too late, "you must understand that this explosion will spare neither the East nor the West and will throw us back into the dark ages". Due to the situation, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponed his planned trip to the UN General Debate in New York by one day.

Israel wants border region back
"We have no intention of going to war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, but we cannot continue as before," said Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon before a meeting of the UN Security Council. Israel has been trying to weaken the pro-Iranian militia for weeks. This includes targeted attacks on leadership personnel, infrastructure, rocket launchers and warehouses. Israel is using diplomatic and increasing military pressure to ensure that Hezbollah withdraws from the border area, as stipulated by a UN resolution. As soon as the region near the border is safe again, 60,000 Israelis who have fled are to return to their homes and apartments.

Matthew Levitt of the Washington Institute think tank told the Wall Street Journal that Israel wants to neutralize Hezbollah's war-fighting capability by attacking key personnel, telecommunications networks and weapons systems. He predicted more such attacks, possibly including against long-range missiles carrying larger warheads and precision-guided munitions. "This is more than just a message," he told the US newspaper. "It is designed to pull the rug out from under Hezbollah's military capabilities and ensure that it is no longer the threat it has been threatening to be for the past eleven months in very real terms and for much longer," it said.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced after the attack on the Hezbollah members in Beirut that Israel would continue to defend itself against its enemies. "The series of operations in the new phase of the war will continue until we achieve our goal: the safe return of Israel's northern communities to their homes," he said, according to his office. Netanyahu said, "Our goals are clear and our actions speak for themselves."

Hezbollah announced further attacks on Israel
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah had announced in a speech broadcast nationwide on Thursday that he would continue shelling northern Israel. Israel could only allow people to return to the north in safety once the war in the Gaza Strip had been stopped. At the same time, Nasrallah accused Israel of being responsible for the explosions of pagers and handheld radios this week. According to the authorities, at least 37 people were killed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Around 3000 others were injured. Israel has not yet claimed responsibility. Hezbollah leader Nasrallah spoke of a declaration of war and announced retaliation.

"Israel has dealt Hezbollah a very strong psychological and tactical blow, which is devastating," Fawaz Gerges, Middle East expert and professor of international relations at the London School of Economics, told the Wall Street Journal. However, this week's attacks would not change the strategic calculus between Hezbollah and Israel. "Anyone who knows Hezbollah from the inside will tell you that these attacks will harden Hezbollah's stance and make it even more determined to resist and continue on its path," the expert told the US newspaper.

USA tries to mediate
Meanwhile, according to President Joe Biden, the US government is continuing to work on the return of displaced persons from the Israeli-Lebanese border area. "We continue to try, as we have from the beginning, to ensure that people in both northern Israel and southern Lebanon can return to their homes," Biden said at a cabinet meeting, according to reporters present. "We will keep working on this until we get there. We still have a long way to go."