Hezbollah announced that a Second Commander high-ranking member of the group, Ahmed Wahbi, was killed yesterday in the Israeli attack south of Beirut. This was reported Sky News. Wahbi oversaw the military operations of Radwan special forces during the Gaza war until early 2024. Hezbollah had previously confirmed the killing of its high-ranking commander Ibrahim Aqil in the attack on the southern outskirts of the Lebanese capital. During the operation, killed at least 14 people, including several members of an elite military unit of the Islamist group. A few hours earlier, the Shiite militia had fired hundreds of missiles at the northern area of Israel
Hamas: “Israel will pay a heavy price”
Israel will pay dearly for the “crime” and “madness” committed in Beirut, with yesterday’s raid in which two important Hezbollah commanders – Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmed Wahabi – and other militants of the group were killed. This was announced by Hamas, which yesterday had already condemned “the brutal Zionist aggression”.
Israel and Hezbollah: Tit for tat with raids
This raid follows a series of Israeli air strikes which, between Thursday and Friday, hit around 100 rocket launchers and other infrastructure Hezbollah, in their heaviest offensive in nearly a year. The operations were a response to the militiamen's counterattack, which launched 150 rockets in three waves toward northern Israel, hitting several Israeli military sites. Hezbollah claimed to have destroyed a soldier's position in Metulla and other targets along the border, justifying its actions as retaliation for the simultaneous explosions of electronic devices and in support of the Palestinian “resistance.”
But it doesn't end there: Israel has intensified its operations in Syria, attacking a vehicle near Damascus airport and targeting members of pro-Iranian militias. A senior officer is said to have died in the operation.
Since the beginning of the conflict, over 160 people, both Israelis and Lebanese, have left the border towns, worried about the situation. United States expressed “concern about a potential escalation,” calling for a diplomatic resolution. The British government urged its citizens to leave Lebanon, while the French president Emmanuel Macron He stressed the importance of avoiding “an escalation that interests no one,” promising support to the Lebanese population.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council will meet tonight in a emergency session to discuss events in Lebanon, with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati calling for an end to Israel’s “technological war.” But Aqil’s death is a blow to Hezbollah’s leadership, which could lead to further retaliation from the Lebanese group and its allies.
Updated at 08.51 on Saturday 21 September
