Middle East conflict: Israeli strikes in Beirut

On Friday, September 20, the Israeli army announced that it had carried out a “targeted strike” in southern Beirut, killing at least eight people and wounding 59, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. This toll has been revised upwards, as an initial report put the number of casualties at just three.

The operation targeted Ibrahim Aqil, head of the Al-Radwan force, an elite Hezbollah unit. Security sources quoted by Israeli radio confirmed his death, a few days after an attack targeting the movement’s transmission equipment.

A controversial figure

Ibrahim Aqil, also known as Tahsin, was considered Hezbollah’s military number two. His predecessor, Fouad Chokr, had been killed in a similar attack last July. Aqil was also wanted by the United States for his involvement in deadly attacks, including those against the US embassy in Beirut in April 1983.

Live images broadcast by Hezbollah’s al-Manar channel showed ambulances rushing to the scene of the attack, testifying to the gravity of the situation.

Growing tensions

The official Lebanese news agency, Ani, reported that the strike had targeted an apartment in a residential building in the Al-Jamous area, reinforcing the idea of an escalation of hostilities. This attack marks the third

By mid-day, around 140 rockets had been fired from Lebanon into Israel, while Hezbollah claimed responsibility for attacks on several Israeli military positions. Residents of border towns reported a level of bombardment unprecedented in a year.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah promised severe retaliation, warning that Israel would suffer “terrible punishment” after the recent strikes.International reactionsIsrael has yet to comment on this new offensive in strategic Hezbollah areas, which has already caused 37 deaths and 2,931 injuries in just two days. The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the consequences of this escalation, which has raised serious concerns about a general conflagration in the Middle East.

In response to the tense security situation in northern Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to postpone his departure for New York, originally scheduled for September 24. An official said he would leave Israel on September 25.