Death of Two Senior Hezbollah Commanders in Israeli Attack; White House Reaction to Ibrahim Aqil's Death

The Lebanese Hezbollah group confirmed that another senior commander of the group was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reports that the death toll from this attack has risen to "37 people." On Saturday, September 23, the French news agency quoted Hezbollah confirming that another senior commander named Ahmad Mahmoud Wahbi was killed in the airstrike on the Dahieh neighborhood in Beirut. Earlier, the death of Ibrahim Aqil in this attack had been confirmed. According to Hezbollah, Wahbi had been in charge of military operations of the Radwan Unit against Israel from October 7 of last year until the beginning of this year. On October 7, 2023, the Hamas group, which is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and Europe, attacked Israeli territory, and Hezbollah immediately began its attacks on northern Israel in support of this group. According to the French news agency, the main target of the Israeli attack was a meeting of Radwan Unit commanders, a subset of Hezbollah, where 16 people were killed. The Israeli army stated that it attacked an underground meeting of Ibrahim Aqil and senior commanders of Hezbollah's Radwan Unit, claiming to have "almost completely" destroyed Hezbollah's military command chain. The Israeli army's statement indicated that in addition to Ibrahim Aqil, 15 others, including senior commanders of the Radwan Unit, were killed. The Lebanese Minister of Health had previously stated that a total of 31 people had died in this attack, including three children and seven women. Israel claims to have killed the "number two military man" and 10 senior commanders of Hezbollah. The killing of Ibrahim Aqil, a senior military commander of Hezbollah, along with several other commanders in the Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut (Dahieh), has sparked reactions. The White House National Security Advisor stated on Saturday that this attack delivered justice to Ibrahim Aqil. Jake Sullivan, speaking with reporters, added, "Whenever a terrorist who has killed Americans is brought to justice, it is good, and we view it positively." The U.S. State Department had placed Ibrahim Aqil on its wanted list since July 21, 2015, and on the "terrorism" list since September 19, 2019. On April 18, 2023, in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the bombing of the U.S. embassy in Beirut, the "Rewards for Justice" program, administered by the Diplomatic Security Service of the U.S. State Department, set a $7 million reward for information leading to the identification or capture of Ibrahim Aqil. Mr. Sullivan also stated that he still believes there is a way to establish a ceasefire in Gaza, but the U.S. "has not yet reached a point where it can put a proposal on the table." He noted that the United States continues to work with Qatar and Egypt, who are in talks with Hamas, but Washington is not in a position to propose an agreement that both sides would accept. He also mentioned that conditions might change in the coming days. Hezbollah issued a statement on Friday evening, September 22, confirming the death of Ibrahim Aqil and referring to him as "one of the senior leaders" of the group. Media close to Hezbollah also published the names and images of 12 members of the "Radwan Unit" who were killed in the attack on Friday, naming eight of them with special titles of senior commanders. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the airstrike in southern Beirut has so far resulted in at least 14 deaths and 66 injuries, with the condition of 9 of the injured being critical. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a very brief statement on Friday evening, writing, "Our goals are clear, and our actions speak for themselves." Additionally, Yoav Gallant, Israel's Minister of Defense, wrote on social media that "our enemies have no refuge, not even in Dahieh, Beirut." He has recently spoken of the beginning of a "new phase" and the shift of the focus of the war to the northern border of the country, adding, "We will continue operations against Hezbollah until we accomplish our mission: ensuring the safe return of residents of northern Israel to their homes." On the other hand, the Israeli attack on senior Hezbollah commanders has provoked reactions from Iran and its proxy groups. Nasser Kanani, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, described the attack as "brutal and malicious" and a violation of international law, stating that it must be condemned by the international community in the strongest terms. The Houthis and some Iraqi groups supported by Iran also condemned the Israeli attack; additionally, the extremist group Hamas, which is recognized as a terrorist group by the U.S. and the European Union, called this attack "brutal" and condemned it. Ibrahim Aqil, referred to as the "number two military man" of Hezbollah, was placed on the U.S. State Department's "terrorism" list due to his involvement in the bombing of the U.S. embassy in Beirut in 1983. The airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut followed the explosion of pagers and radios belonging to Hezbollah on Tuesday and Wednesday, which left 37 dead and thousands injured. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the explosion of Hezbollah's communication devices. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council held a meeting on Friday evening to discuss the situation in Lebanon and tensions in the region. Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, urged all countries with influence over Israel and Hezbollah to immediately use their influence to prevent an escalation of violence that could lead to greater destruction. Abdullah Bou Habib, Lebanon's Foreign Minister, also accused Israel of being responsible for the explosion of pagers and communication devices in his country, stating, "No one in this world is safe anymore." However, Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the UN, emphasized that his country is not seeking to escalate the conflict, accusing Hezbollah of "violating international laws" and stating that as long as this group does not retreat north of the Litani River, Israel has no choice but to use any means necessary for self-defense. According to IRNA, Amir Saeed Iravani, Iran's ambassador to the UN, accused Israel of "malicious activities" in this meeting, stating that the Islamic Republic has "consistently shown maximum restraint." In the meantime, John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, urged American citizens not to travel to Lebanon at this time or to leave the country immediately if they are there. Previously, Britain had also urged its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately. Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that Hezbollah's rocket attacks on Israeli areas continued on Friday before and after the airstrike in Beirut, with about 200 rockets fired towards Upper Galilee and the Golan Heights, but there were no casualties. Mr. Kirby also stated, "War is not inevitable... and we will continue to do everything we can to prevent it." Additionally, Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, expressed concern over the escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in a phone conversation with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant. According to the Pentagon, the Secretary of Defense reiterated Washington's commitment to ensuring Israel's security while emphasizing the importance of "achieving a diplomatic solution that allows residents to safely return to their homes on both sides of the border." The current crisis in the region began following the extremist group Hamas's attack on southern Israel, which resulted in about 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages. In response to this group's attack, Israel launched operations across the Gaza Strip, which, according to officials under Hamas, has so far left over 41,000 dead.