Lebanon’s Hezbollah confirmed the death of one of its senior leaders, Ahmad Mahmoud Wahbi, following an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburb on Friday. Earlier, the group also announced the death of another top leader, Ibrahim Aqil, in the same strike. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that 14 others were killed, with the toll expected to rise as rescue teams work through the night.
Hezbollah released a statement detailing Wahbi’s background and key positions he held until his death:
- Born in southern Lebanon in 1964.
- Joined Hezbollah at its inception, participating in numerous military operations during Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon.
- Captured by Israel in 1984.
- Held several leadership roles in the Central Training Unit until 2007.
- Led training for Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force until 2012.
- Played a pivotal role in defending Lebanon’s eastern borders and in various Syrian provinces.
- Led Radwan Force operations from the onset of the Hamas-Israel conflict in October 2023 until early 2024.
- Recently reassumed leadership of the Central Training Unit after the death of Wissam Al-Tawil.
In a brief statement shared by Israeli media, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented that Israel’s objectives are clear, and its actions speak for themselves. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant added on X (formerly Twitter): “The sequence of operations in this new phase will continue until we achieve our goal—the safe return of northern residents to their homes.”
This marks the second time in less than two months that Israel has targeted a high-ranking Hezbollah leader in Beirut. In July, a strike killed military commander Fuad Shukr.
The deaths of Aqil and Wahbi are a significant blow to Hezbollah, following another attack just two days earlier involving the explosion of wireless communication devices (pagers and walkie-talkies) used by the group. That incident left 37 dead and numerous others injured. While Israel is widely believed to be behind these attacks, it has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.
UN Warnings
UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Janine Hennis-Plasschaert, described Friday’s attack in the densely populated area of Beirut’s southern suburb as part of a “dangerous cycle of violence that could have devastating consequences. This must stop immediately.”
Additionally, Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, warned the Security Council that if violence continues between Israel on one side and Hamas and Hezbollah on the other, “we risk witnessing devastation far beyond what we have already seen.”
