Israel assassinates Hezbollah leader Ibrahim Aqil in the southern suburb

The Israeli army announced the assassination of Hezbollah military leader Ibrahim Aqil, in an air strike on the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said, "The air force carried out a precise raid in Beirut targeting a Hezbollah military meeting, assassinating Ibrahim Aqil, head of Hezbollah's operations division, and a number of leaders of the operations division in the Radwan unit."

"We will continue to defend and work to strip Hezbollah of its capabilities, strike it and operate on all fronts," Hagari added.

A security source told Al Jazeera that the Israeli raid on the southern suburb targeted security and military officials in Hezbollah, including the head of Hezbollah's special operations, Ibrahim Aqil.

Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that an Israeli aircraft fired 3 missiles at a residential building in the Al-Qaim area in the southern suburb, stressing that the targeted area is crowded with residential buildings and shops.

According to the Lebanese News Agency, an enemy F- 35 aircraft targeted an apartment in the Al-Jamous area in the southern suburb with two missiles.

In turn, the Israeli website "Walla" confirmed that initial estimates indicate that the Israeli raid was carried out during a meeting of Hezbollah leaders.

In the first reaction, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that targeting a populated area in the southern suburb proves that the Israeli enemy does not give weight to any humanitarian or legal consideration.

In contrast, a senior official explained to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation that "Tel Aviv is preparing for a response from Hezbollah after the raid on Beirut, and everything is on the table."

The Israeli official added, "There are no red lines at the moment, and the goal is to pursue Hezbollah."

In turn, John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, confirmed that Israel did not notify Washington in advance regarding the attack on Beirut.

Kirby strongly advised Americans not to travel to Lebanon at this time.

For its part, the British Foreign Office advised its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately, and also advised against traveling to Lebanon for any reason.

Ibrahim Aqil, also known as Tahseen, holds the position of head of the Special Operations Department, in addition to being a member of the Jihad Council, the highest military body in Hezbollah.

The United States previously accused Akil of contributing to the bombing of the US embassy in Beirut in 1983 and offered a $7 million reward for information about him.

Source: Al Jazeera + Agencies