The sound of explosions echoed through the southern suburbs of Beirut. Darkness descended on the city, but the chaos was far from over. Among the dead was one of Hezbollah’s most feared commanders, Ibrahim Aqil, who had been masterminding a sinister plan for a large-scale attack on Israel. Alongside him, other senior operatives of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Forces lay lifeless, victims of a “targeted strike” launched by the Israeli military.
This chilling strike came in the early hours of Friday, marking a deadly escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), their intelligence had pinpointed Aqil’s location in the heart of Beirut, triggering the precision air raid that not only killed him but also obliterated his carefully laid plans to launch the “Conquer the Galilee” operation—an ambitious scheme that involved infiltrating Israeli communities and carrying out civilian massacres reminiscent of past atrocities.
The IDF was swift in confirming the strike. “We eliminated Ibrahim Aqil, the head of Hezbollah’s Operations Unit, along with commanders of the Radwan Unit, who were actively planning attacks on Israel,” read an official statement. The strike, described as intelligence-driven, was part of Israel’s broader effort to neutralise Hezbollah’s growing threat along the northern border.
In total, eight individuals lost their lives in the attack, including top-tier Hezbollah officials, while over 50 others were left wounded. The fallout from the strike reverberated through the city, with civilians and officials alike stunned by the Israeli military’s precise and deadly reach.
In a swift response to the strike, Hezbollah launched over 150 rockets at northern Israel, escalating the conflict even further. The militant group targeted several Israeli military bases, raining down missiles in three separate waves. The Israeli military quickly intercepted many of the rockets, but some reached key sites along the border, causing significant damage. Israel, in turn, launched retaliatory air strikes on southern Lebanon, crippling Hezbollah’s missile capabilities.
This latest strike comes as the third major Israeli air assault on Hezbollah’s stronghold in Beirut since October 2023, and the stakes continue to rise. Previously, Israeli strikes had taken out prominent figures such as Fuad Shukr, a Hezbollah commander, and Saleh al-Aruri, a leader within Hamas. Now, with Hezbollah’s upper echelon being systematically targeted, the conflict shows no signs of abating.
The deadly exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah signals a dangerous phase in their ongoing confrontation, one that could push the region further into chaos.
