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A significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has occurred following an Israeli air strike in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Friday. The strike resulted in the death of senior Hezbollah military commander Ibrahim Aqil, alongside several other high-ranking figures within the group.
The attack took place in the densely populated Dahieh area, a known stronghold of Hezbollah, and left at least 14 people dead and dozens more injured.
Hezbollah confirmed Aqil’s death, which was described as a considerable loss for the group. A senior UN official, Rosemary DiCarlo, warned that the Middle East is at risk of a conflict that could “dwarf” the devastation already witnessed in the region.
This statement came during a session of the UN Security Council, where she addressed the escalating violence.
In Beirut, emergency teams rushed to the scene of the air strike, frantically rescuing those trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings. Eyewitness accounts described chaotic scenes as Hezbollah members cordoned off the streets, visibly shaken by the impact of the attack.
This strike marked the first significant military action in Beirut since July, when Hezbollah’s military chief, Fuad Shukr, was killed.
According to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari, Aqil was a senior commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan forces. He stated that Aqil and other operatives were underground at the time of the strike, “hiding among Lebanese civilians, using them as human shields.”
Hagari further revealed that these individuals were reportedly planning Hezbollah’s “Conquer the Galilee” operation, an initiative aimed at infiltrating Israeli communities.
The IDF has previously indicated that this plan includes attacks designed to kidnap and kill civilians. In April, the US government had offered rewards for information leading to Aqil’s location due to his involvement with Hezbollah, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK, and the US.
Aqil’s history is notably marked by his participation in the bombings of the US embassy and marine barracks in Beirut during the 1980s, which claimed hundreds of lives.
In response to the air strike, Hezbollah launched retaliatory strikes against military sites in northern Israel. Reports indicated that approximately 140 rockets were fired into Israel, prompting warnings about potential damage to roads and infrastructure.
The escalation follows a series of violent events initiated by a major attack on Israel by Hamas gunmen from Gaza on 7 October 2023. In the wake of this, Hezbollah has been involved in cross-border skirmishes, which have resulted in hundreds of deaths, primarily among Hezbollah fighters, and significant displacement on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border.
In a televised address, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah condemned the attack, stating, “The enemy crossed all rules, laws and red lines. It didn’t care about anything at all, not morally, not humanely, not legally.”
While he vowed retaliation, Nasrallah suggested that Hezbollah was not seeking an escalation of the conflict at this time.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habbib accused Israel of deliberately undermining diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza and obstructing attempts by the Lebanese government to de-escalate tensions. In response, Israel’s UN envoy Danny Danon maintained that while the country is not seeking a wider conflict, it “will not allow Hezbollah to continue its provocation.”
Amid the rising tensions, DiCarlo urged member states with influence over the involved parties to act swiftly, warning, “We risk seeing a conflagration that could dwarf even the devastation and suffering witnessed so far.”
In light of the escalating violence, US and UK authorities have advised their citizens against travel to Lebanon, while the White House has been engaged in intensive diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation along the Israel-Lebanon border.
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