Hezbollah confirms death of elite commander Ibrahim Aqil in Israeli strike

Shafaq News/ Hezbollah announced on Friday that its prominent jihadi commander, Ibrahim Aqil, also known as Haj Abdul Qader, has been killed, along with other leaders in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs.

"With great pride, the Islamic Resistance today offers one of its senior leaders as a martyr on the path to Jerusalem and pledges to his pure soul that we will remain faithful to his goals, dreams, and path until victory, God willing." Said Hezbollah in a statement.

Hezbollah praised Aqil's lifelong dedication, saying, "Jerusalem was always in his heart, mind, and thoughts, day and night. The city was the love of his soul, and his greatest dream was to pray in its mosque."

The group extended condolences to its supporters and allies, stating, "We offer our deepest condolences and congratulations to our Master Sahib al-Zaman [Imam Mahdi, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad] and to His Eminence, [Supreme] Leader [Ali] Khamenei, as well as to all the fighters and resistance supporters everywhere, for the martyrdom of this great jihadi commander and his fallen brothers."

Hezbollah also expressed solidarity with the families of the martyrs, "We pray that God accepts this dear soul, grants him a place with the Prophet and his pure family, and joins him with the radiant martyrs of Karbala."

Hezbollah also mourned other leaders in the same Israeli strike including, Ahmad Mahmoud Wehbe, Hassan Madi, Mohamad Ahmad Rida, Mahmoud Yassin Hamad, Mohamad Al-Attar, Samer Halawi, Ahmad Dib, Abdalah Hijaza, Aref Al-Rez, Hassan Hussein, Abbas Moslemani, Hussein Hodroj.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the attack killed 14 people including children, and injured 66 others with nine in critical condition.

Israeli media outlets indicated that the strike occurred during a meeting of Hezbollah’s Al-Radwan leaders and officials responsible for the Galilee area including Aqil.

The attack came a day after the Israeli telecommunication attacks last Tuesday and Wednesday that killed 32 and wounded over 3,400 people in the suburbs of Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley.

Who Is Ibrahim Aqil?

The US government is offering a reward of up to $7 million for information leading to the capture of senior Hezbollah leader Ibrahim Aqil, also known as Tahsin.

Aqil is a prominent figure within Hezbollah’s highest military body, the Jihad Council, which has been linked to several high-profile “terrorist” activities over the decades, according to the Rewards for Justice website, affiliated with the US government.

“During the 1980s, Aqil was a principal member of Hizballah’s terrorist cell the Islamic Jihad Organization, which claimed responsibility for the bombings of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in April 1983, which killed 63 people, and the U.S. Marine Corps barracks in October 1983, which killed 241 U.S. personnel.” The Website says.

“Also in the 1980s, Aqil directed the taking of American and German hostages in Lebanon and held them there.”

On July 21, 2015, the US Department of the Treasury designated Aqil under Executive Order 13582 for his role in acting on behalf of Hezbollah. Later, on September 10, 2019, the US Department of State designated him as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224, as amended.

Hezbollah Leadership Under Threat

Since October 7, Israel has targeted numerous high-ranking Hezbollah officials, including Fuad Shukr, who was killed in an airstrike on July 30, 2024. Shukr was a close aide to Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Mohammed Nasser, responsible for operations at the frontier, was killed in a separate airstrike on July 3, 2024, while Taleb Abdallah was killed on June 12, 2024, during a strike on a command and control center in southern Lebanon.