Israel-Lebanon latest: Death toll rises to 31 after top Hezbollah commander killed in Beirut airstrike
It comes as footage emerged showing Israeli soldiers throwing bodies of three dead Palestinians off a rooftop
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Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
At least 31 people including a top Hezbollah commander have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
Ibrahim Aqil, Hezbollah’s operations commander, was killed in the strike on a block of apartments in the city’s southern suburbs on Friday afternoon. Lebanon said 68 people were also injured in the attack.
It came after Hezbollah, which has been engaged in near daily skirmishes with Israel since the Gaza war began, fired 140-150 rockets into Israel earlier in the day.
Aqil was involved in Hezbollah’s bombing of the US embassy in Beirut which killed 63 people in April 1983, according to the US State Department.
Meanwhile, Hamas warned Israel would ‘pay a price’ and described the killing of Aqil as a “crime” and “folly”. The group is part of Iran’s so called axis of resistance.
The assassination followed a series of suspected Israeli attacks earlier in the week that blew up Hezbollah’s radio and pager devices, killing 37 people and wounding at least 3,000 others.
IDF say they have killed senior Hezbollah commander
The Israeli military has said it killed senior Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil.
“The IDF eliminated Ibrahim Aqil, head of Hezbollah’s operations system and the actual commander of the Radwan Force and the leader of Hezbollah’s plan to occupy the Galilee,” the military said in a statement.
Americans strongly urged to leave Lebanon
Americans have been strongly urged to leave Lebanon after attacks were launched at it’s capital of Beirut, a White House national security spokesman has said.
John Kirby said Americans have also been told not to travel to the country.
Speaking to reporters, he reiterated that the Biden administration was trying to avoid an escalation in the region, and
He said he was not aware of any Israel notification to the US before its strike in Beirut earlier today.
Woman whose Hungarian company linked to pagers under secret service protection
The woman whose company was linked to thousands of pagers that exploded in Lebanon and Syria this week is under the protection of the Hungarian secret services, her mother told The Associated Press.
Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono has not appeared publicly since the deadly simultaneous attack that targeted Hezbollah on Tuesday, which has been widely blamed on Israel.
She is listed as the chief executive of Budapest-based BAC Consulting, which the Taiwanese trademark holder of the pagers said was responsible for the manufacture of the devices.
Her mother, Beatrix Barsony-Arcidiacono, said that her daughter had received unspecified threats and “is currently in a safe place protected by the Hungarian secret services”.
The “Hungarian secret services advised her not to talk to media” she said by phone from Sicily.
![](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/09/18/15/Screenshot-2024-09-18-at-15.57.38.jpg)
Today’s recap: Hezbollah targets Israel with 140 rockets
Earlier on Friday, Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with 140 rockets, as the region awaited the revenge promised by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
In a speech, Nasrallah had warned of retaliation for this week’s mass bombing attack on pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah members, which injured around 3,000 people. Hezbollah said that its attacks had targeted several Israeli miltiary sites along the border with Katyusha rockets, including multiple air defense bases as well as the headquarters of an Israeli armored brigade they said they’d struck for the first time.
![Pictured: An Israeli extinguishes flames following a rocket attack from Lebanon](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/09/20/13/SEI222462067.jpg)
The Israeli military said that 120 missiles were launched at areas of the Golan Heights, Safed and the Upper Galilee, some of which were intercepted. Fire crews were working to extinguish blazes caused by pieces of debris that fell to the ground in several areas, the military said. The military didn’t say whether any missiles had hit targets or caused any casualties. Another 20 missiles were shot at the areas of Meron and Netua, and most fell in open areas, the military said, adding that no injuries were reported.
Hezbollah commander killed in strike, reports say
A top Hezbollah commander has reportedly been killed in an Israeli strike on the Lebanese capital of Beirut just hours after the militia launched over 100 rockets at Israel.
Hezbollah’s operations commander Ibrahim Aqil was killed in the strike on southern Beirut on Friday afternoon, security sources said. Lebanese officials said eight were killed and 50 were injured in the attack.
Mr Aqil was involved in Hezbollah’s bombing of the US embassy in Beirut which killed 63 people in April 1983, according to the US State Department.
Pictured: Hezbollah chief Ibrahim Aqil
The target of the strike was Hezbollah operations commander Ibrahim Aqil, according to two security sources.
Mr Aqil was involved in Hezbollah’s bombing of the US embassy in Beirut which killed 63 people in April 1983, the US State Department said.
He also over saw an attack on the US Marine Corps barracks seven months later which killed 231 US personnel.
In 2013, Washington put a $7million bounty on his head for any information leading to his location, arrest or conviction.
![Hezbollah operations commander Ibrahim Aqil](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/09/20/15/ib.jpg)
UK foreign secretary chairs emergency meeting
UK foreign minister David Lammy has chaired an emergency meeting to discuss the ongoing conflict in Lebanon.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The Foreign Secretary has chaired a meeting of Cobr this morning on the latest situation in Lebanon and to discuss ongoing preparedness work, with the risk of escalation remaining high.”
![David Lammy has chaired an emergency meeting on the ongoing situation in Lebanon](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/09/16/22/dfff155c5b6f19f53561172aef05fa16Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzI2NTg4NTcz-2.77467048.jpg)
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