Israel killed Ibrahim Akil, a senior Hezbollah terrorist partially responsible for the 1983 bombing of a U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, on Friday while he was gathering with fellow terrorists in an underground compound south of Beirut.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement:
Today (Friday), September 20, 2024, Israeli Air Force aircraft conducted a targeted, intelligence-based strike in the Beirut area, killing Ibrahim Akil, head of Hezbollah’s operational forces, commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, and head of Hezbollah’s “Conquest of Galilee” offensive planning.
During the attack, a senior operative in Hezbollah's operational staff and commanders of the Radwan Unit were killed along with Akil. Ibrahim Akil, who was killed today, and the commanders of the Radwan Unit had been planning Hezbollah's “Conquest of Galilee” attack, in which Hezbollah intended to infiltrate Israeli communities and kill innocent civilians.
Akil began his involvement with Hezbollah in the 1980s. He was involved with the group as an operative for the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization and was involved in Hezbollah's terrorist attacks outside of Lebanon, many of which were carried out against innocent civilians in multiple countries.
Since 2004, he has served as Hezbollah's operational force chief, responsible for Hezbollah's military sphere, including bombing campaigns, anti-tank missile strikes, and air defense.
Additionally, he operates as a commander of the Radwan Unit, an elite unit of the Hezbollah terrorist organization whose primary objective is to subjugate communities in the Galilee and kill innocent civilians and IDF soldiers.
Ibrahim Akil led and participated in many terrorist attacks against innocent Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.
Akil was implicated in an anti-tank missile attack on the Avivim garrison in northern Israel in 2019, a terrorist attack at Megiddo Junction in 2023, and an attempt by Hezbollah terrorists to enter Israeli territory and kill civilians and IDF soldiers during the “Iron Sword” war.
Akil orchestrated the terrorist attack on the US Embassy in Beirut in 1983. He was a wanted suspect in the United States.
The IDF will continue to act to degrade Hezbollah's capabilities and will continue to operate on all fronts to protect the civilian population of the State of Israel.
U.S. Department of State Announced The statement further explained the $7 million bounty placed on Aquil last year:
Ibrahim Akil, also known as Tahsin, is a member of Hezbollah's top military organization, the Jihad Council.
In the 1980s, Akil was a leading member of the Islamic Jihad, a Hezbollah terrorist wing that claimed responsibility for the April 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people, and the October 1983 bombing of a U.S. Marine barracks, killing 241 U.S. soldiers.
Also in the 1980s, Akil oversaw the capture and imprisonment of American and German hostages in Lebanon.
An unidentified Marine holds a flag and looks skyward at a U.S. Marine Corps base after a massive bombing near Beirut's airport destroyed the base and killed 239 people on Oct. 23, 1983. The dead included 218 Marines, 18 Sailors and three Army soldiers. (AP Photo/Mark Foley)
IDF spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari, in a Hebrew briefing to the Israeli public (translated by the IDF), added:
Earlier today, the IDF carried out a targeted strike in Beirut, killing the Hezbollah terrorist organization's operational chief, Ibrahim Akil, and the senior command of the Radwan Force, who had been gathering in the basement of a residential building in the heart of the Dahieh district, using civilians as human shields, to coordinate terrorist operations against Israeli citizens.
The commanders of the Akil and Radwan units we attacked were the architects and forces behind Hezbollah's plan to carry out attacks on northern Israel in what it called its “Plan to Conquer Galilee.” As part of this plan, Hezbollah intended to invade Israel, seize control of Galilee communities, and kill and kidnap Israeli civilians, as Hamas did on October 7. Since October 8, these commanders had been directing attacks against Israeli civilians and planning further operations.
Ibrahim Akil was Hezbollah's chief of operations and the de facto commander of the Radwan Force, Hezbollah's elite unit. He was in charge of Hezbollah's anti-tank, explosive, and air defense operations. He orchestrated numerous terrorist attacks, including the 2019 Avivim outpost attack, the 2023 Megiddo Junction bombing, and the attempted infiltration of Israel. He was also behind Hezbollah's attacks abroad. Akil was responsible for a lot of blood and the death of many innocent civilians, and was wanted by the United States, with a multi-million dollar bounty on his head for information that could eliminate him.
We are fully prepared for both offense and defense. We are closely monitoring the situation, but at this time there are no changes to Homefront Command's defense guidelines. If anything changes, we will provide an update immediately. In the meantime, we urge everyone to remain vigilant. These are tense times with the IDF operating on multiple fronts, and our enemies are seeking and will continue to challenge us.
Over the past 11 months, we have worked resolutely to achieve all of the objectives of the war: first and foremost, to dismantle Hamas in Gaza and return all hostages to Israel, and secondly, to restore the security in the north so that people can return to their homes.The IDF will continue to operate wherever necessary to protect the people of Israel.
In July, Israel killed Hezbollah deputy commander Fuad Shukr, who was also linked to the embassy bombings.
update: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued “Our goals are clear and our actions speak for themselves,” a brief statement reported by The Times of Israel said.
Joel B. Pollack is executive editor of Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday It airs Sundays from 7:00pm-10:00pm ET (4:00pm-7:00pm PT) on SiriusXM Patriot. He is the author of the following books: Agenda: What President Trump Should Do in His First 100 Daysavailable for pre-order on Amazon. He also Trumpian virtues: The lessons and legacy of Donald Trump's presidencyavailable now on Audible. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter. Joel Pollack.
