Israel struck a significant blow against Hezbollah’s leadership on Friday, eliminating Ibrahim Aqil, a senior operative responsible for deadly attacks against Americans in the 1980s.
Aqil, also known by the alias "Tahsin," was instrumental in planning the 1983 bombing of a U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, which claimed the lives of 241 U.S. servicemen, including Marines, sailors, and soldiers.
Aqil’s role in these atrocities had long made him a top target, with the U.S. government offering a $7 million reward for information on his whereabouts, as reported by the New York Post.
40 years ago to the day, Ibrahim Aqil helped direct a Hezbollah suicide bombing that targeted the American embassy in Beirut.
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) September 20, 2024
Today, Israel eliminated him with a surgical airstrike in Beirut.
Justice is served.
🇮🇱🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/pyS4XrS5Kl
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This operation was part of a broader Israeli campaign to neutralize Hezbollah threats as tensions continue to rise in the region. During the strike, Aqil and several senior Hezbollah commanders, including members of the Radwan Unit, were reportedly plotting another brutal incursion into Israel, aiming to kidnap and murder civilians, echoing the horrific events of October 7.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stressed that such actions were necessary to eliminate Hezbollah’s ability to target Israeli civilians.
“The IDF will continue to remove the threat of Hezbollah’s capabilities and will operate in all arenas to protect Israeli civilians,” the military said in a statement following the strike.
The timing of this strike was no coincidence. It followed a series of high-profile Israeli military operations aimed at dismantling Hezbollah’s capabilities.
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Earlier in the week, Israel’s elite Mossad agency orchestrated targeted attacks on Hezbollah members, taking out critical communication equipment and causing significant casualties.
On Tuesday, Mossad blew up pagers linked to Hezbollah members, killing 12 and injuring over 2,800. The following day, walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives were destroyed, leading to the deaths of 20 individuals and injuring 450 more.
Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist organization based in Lebanon, has ramped up its attacks against Israel following Hamas’ shocking October 7 assault on Israeli civilians.
Near-daily Hezbollah strikes have escalated tensions along Israel’s northern border, which Israeli officials have described as "unsustainable." The strikes come just days after Israel’s security cabinet approved plans to secure the return of northern residents displaced by the ongoing conflict.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby noted that Washington was not given a heads-up on the strike but added that it is not uncommon for Israel to act without prior notice.
As Israel continues its campaign against Hezbollah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that merely securing a political agreement would not suffice. He reaffirmed that Israel is preparing for a broader offensive to bring peace and security to its northern territories.
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A murderous terrorist that journalists prefer to call “a commander”, “the victim of the attack”…
Yes, that’s the media today with their choices of language.
When did calling terrorists, “terrorists”, become illegal?
“There’s an unwritten rule that Hezbollah terrorism avoids large population centers”
Meaning they don’t launch rockets at civilian cities if they have a population of more than 250,000 people. So all the Iraeli cities and villages that Hezbollah terrorists has been firing rockets at for decades are unfortunately under the population that would provide them with protection from the ‘unwritten rule’.
Yeah… this is supposed to be journalism. Journalists rewitting the unwritten rules to minimize terrorism and provide some cover to terrorists – while insinuating accusations directed at Israel, whose civilian population is the target of Hezbollah terrorism.