An Israeli airstrike on southern Beirut, a stronghold of Hezbollah, has killed eight people and injured 59, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. A source close to Hezbollah confirmed that the strike also killed Ibrahim Aqil, commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit and the group’s second-in-command after Fuad Shukr.
This attack marks the third Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7. The violence has recently escalated from Gaza to Lebanon, intensifying the ongoing border clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters.
While Hezbollah has not officially confirmed Aqil’s death, it claimed responsibility for striking an Israeli intelligence base following the airstrike. Aqil was a key figure in the group, with the United States offering a $7 million reward for information on him due to his involvement in the 1983 bombing of the US embassy in Beirut, which killed 63 people.
Footage shared online shows smoke billowing over southern Beirut as the conflict escalates. Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has vowed retribution against Israel for recent attacks, including an unprecedented strike that disabled Hezbollah communications, resulting in 37 deaths and thousands of injuries.
In response to the mounting tension, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that Hezbollah would “pay an increasing price” as Israel shifts its military focus toward its northern border with Lebanon.
Meanwhile, international mediators, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, are urgently working to prevent the conflict from spiraling into a wider regional war.
