White House Reaction to the Killing of Hezbollah's Commander: Justice Served

Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor of the White House, reacted on Saturday, September 31, to the killing of Ibrahim Aqil, the commander of Hezbollah's Radwan unit, following an Israeli attack on Friday, September 30. He expressed concern over the escalation of tensions, stating that justice has been served. Ibrahim Aqil was wanted for deadly bombings against Americans in Lebanon, with a reward of $7 million offered for his capture. Sullivan remarked, "Whenever justice is served against a terrorist who has killed American citizens, we believe it is a good outcome." According to the National Security Advisor, despite the "real" risk of escalating tensions, the United States still believes there is a clear way to stop hostilities and achieve a lasting solution that allows residents of the border areas of Israel and Lebanon to return to their homes. The Israeli army on Saturday released the names and images of 12 commanders of Hezbollah's Radwan unit, including Ibrahim Aqil, who were killed in the attack on Friday at their gathering place under a building in the "Dahiyeh" neighborhood of Beirut. Other casualties from the Friday attack included Ahmad Wahbi, the head of Hezbollah's training unit and a former commander of the Radwan force. In total, 16 members of Hezbollah were killed in the Israeli airstrike targeting the commanders. The Israeli army stated that Ibrahim Aqil and the other slain commanders were responsible for planning, advancing, and executing hundreds of terrorist operations against Israel, including Hezbollah's assassination plots aimed at northern Israel. The escalation of conflicts between Hezbollah and Israel has occurred following continued rocket and drone attacks by Hezbollah on Israel and explosions of the group's communication devices, resulting in nearly 40 deaths, mostly among members of this Iranian proxy group, and 3,000 injuries. Although the explosions have been attributed to Israel, the country has adopted a position of "neither confirming nor denying" in this regard. Since the terrorist attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 15 of last year, Hezbollah has also entered the war and has repeatedly attempted to attack northern Israel with rocket fire. These rocket attacks have caused thousands of Israelis to leave their homes in the north of the country. Israel has stated that it will ensure security in its northern areas by any means necessary, whether diplomatic or military. Israel demands Hezbollah's withdrawal from the border areas of Lebanon with Israel. So far, diplomatic efforts to push Hezbollah back across the Litani River, 30 kilometers from the Israel-Lebanon border, based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in the summer of 2006, have failed. Hezbollah was established in 1982 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Several countries, including the United States, Israel, Germany, Serbia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Australia, have recognized the group as a terrorist organization. The designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization means that there is no distinction made between its political and military branches, and both are considered terrorist entities. Hungary has stated that the pagers used in the explosions in Lebanon were not manufactured in the country. Protesters injured in the explosions addressed the Iranian ambassador in Lebanon: "When it's your turn, it's your turn." A senior Hezbollah member was killed in the Israeli airstrike in Beirut. Users reacted to the explosion of Hezbollah's communication equipment, ranging from joy to doubt about its effectiveness. Reuters reported that Hezbollah distributed the "pagers" among its members just hours before the explosions. Austin and Gallant discussed the situation; the United States expressed concern over the escalation of tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. Taipei stated that the parts of the exploded pagers in Lebanon and Syria were not made in Taiwan. The Israeli army announced: "We destroyed 1,000 rockets ready for launch by Hezbollah."