Hezbollah confirmed late Friday that its top military commander, Ibrahim Aqil, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburb. The group mourned Aqil as one of its "top leaders." The airstrike resulted in at least 14 fatalities and injured 66 others, with nine individuals reported in critical condition, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. The official Lebanese National News Agency indicated that the attack targeted an apartment in a residential building in the Jamous area. The Israeli army confirmed the assassination of Aqil, along with other senior commanders from Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force. This strike represents the third attack by Israel on the southern suburb since an ongoing wave of hostilities began nearly a year ago. Previous significant attacks include the assassination of Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri on January 2 and the killing of Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr on July 30. The airstrike coincides with a new wave of Israeli escalation in Lebanon, as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced that the conflict with Hezbollah has entered "a new phase." This escalation follows increased cross-border tensions, particularly after the onset of Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip, where nearly 41,300 people, predominantly women and children, have been killed since Hamas's cross-border attack in early October. — Agencies
