Who was Ibrahim Mohammad Aqil, Hezbollah commander killed in Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs?

On Friday, the Israeli military launched an airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, targeting senior Hezbollah leader Ibrahim Aqil.

In a subsequent statement, Hezbollah confirmed the death of Aqil, also known by the alias Haj Abdul Qader. The strike killed more than ten people and injured others.

Hezbollah hailed Aqil as a key figure in its resistance against Israel and vowed to continue his mission.

Who Was Ibrahim Mohammad Aqil?

Ibrahim Mohammad Aqil, described as a "great jihadi commander," was born in Bednayel, Bekaa, on Dec. 24, 1962. In the 1980s, he played a significant role in the resistance against the Israeli invasion of Beirut and was a key member of the Islamic Jihad Organization.

According to the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, the organization "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."

In the early 1990s, Aqil took charge of central training within Hezbollah, playing a crucial role in developing human resources for the group. By the mid-1990s, he had risen to the position of Chief of Staff.

From 1997 until after the Israeli withdrawal, Aqil led the "Jabal Amel Operations Unit," overseeing several operations during that period. He also established the group's Operations Command, and in 2008, he became Deputy Secretary-General for Operations.

He also served as a member of Hezbollah’s highest military body, the Jihad Council and was actively involved in the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Aqil was instrumental in founding, developing, and leading Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force until his death. He also played a central role in planning and directing operations against takfiri groups on Lebanon’s eastern border and in Syrian regions.

From the onset of the October 7 events, Aqil planned and supervised military operations for the Radwan Force on the Lebanese front.