Israel targets Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil in Beirut airstrike

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Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil was killed on Friday in an Israeli airstrike targeting a residential area in Beirut's southern suburb, Dahiyeh. The attack, which aimed to eliminate Aqil, resulted in the deaths of 14 people and left 66 others wounded, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.

Aqil was a senior leader of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force and had a $7 million bounty on his head from the US Department of State. The Israeli military confirmed the strike, stating that it had successfully "eliminated" Aqil, who was reportedly attending a joint meeting with a Palestinian group at the time.

Footage from the scene showed massive destruction, with buildings reduced to rubble and Civil Defence teams searching for survivors. This was the second time in two months that Israel had targeted a top Hezbollah commander. In July, an Israeli airstrike killed Fuad Shukr, another leading figure within the group.

Aqil had been involved with Hezbollah since the 1980s and was implicated in several high-profile attacks, including the 1983 bombings of the US Embassy and Marine Corps barracks in Beirut. He was also linked to the kidnapping of American and German hostages during the 1980s. His death is considered a significant blow to Hezbollah.