People inspect the site of an Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon.
BEIRUT/JERUSALEM – On Friday, Israel launched an airstrike in Beirut, killing Ibrahim Aqil, a top commander of Hezbollah, along with other senior members of the group. This attack marks a new escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Smoke rises from the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as pictured from Marjayoun, near the border with Israel, September 18, 2024.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported that at least 14 people died from the strike, and many more were injured, with some in critical condition. The airstrike hit a building where Aqil was meeting with other commanders, causing significant damage.
A man reacts as he attempts to extinguish flames following a rocket attack from Lebanon, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights September 20, 2024.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is committed to protecting its citizens and will continue military actions until security is restored in the region. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also stated that operations would persist until the area is safe.
People and members of the military inspect the site of an Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, September 20, 2024.
In response to the strike, Hezbollah fired rockets at Israeli positions later that night. The violence along the Israel-Lebanon border has increased in recent weeks, fueled by tensions related to the recent war in Gaza.
An undated photograph of Ibrahim Aqil, who serves on Hezbollah’s top military body as a senior commander according to two security sources in Lebanon and the Israeli Army Radio, appears on a wanted poster circulated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service entity “Rewards for Justice”. U.S. State Department/Handout
The U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon expressed concern over the cycle of violence, calling for it to stop. The situation remains tense, with worries that the conflict could escalate further. The Iranian embassy in Lebanon condemned the airstrike, describing it as “Israeli madness” aimed at residential areas.
Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system intercepts missiles during an attack from Lebanon, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights September 20, 2024.
Civil Defense members work near the site of an Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, September 20, 2024.
People walk near the site of an Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, September 20, 2024.
Smoke rises from the southern Lebanese village of Khiam, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as pictured from Marjayoun, near the border with Israel, September 20, 2024.
Lebanese army members stand next to an arriving ambulance outside of a hospital, after an Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, September 20, 2024.
Medical staff waits for the arrival of an ambulance outside of a hospital, after an Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, September 20, 2024.
Smoke rises from the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as pictured from Marjayoun, near the border with Israel, September 20, 2024.
