Lebanon conflict: Wanted Hezbollah commander killed; “Israel's goals were clear,” says Netanyahu | Top updates

News from Israel's Hezbollah: In a continuation of the clashes that reached a new escalation after the walkie-talkie and pager explosions on September 19, the head of Hezbollah's operations unit was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday. He has been on Washington's wanted list for many years.

The Israeli military and a security source in Lebanon confirmed that 61-year-old Ibrahim Aqil was killed in the airstrike along with other senior members of an elite Hezbollah unit, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed group, Reuters reported. Here are the latest updates from the ongoing battle:

Conflict between Israel and Hezbollah: The most important news

Following the assassination of Ibrahim Aqil, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) vowed to “eliminate the threat” posed by Hezbollah's capabilities and to continue its operations in all areas to protect Israeli citizens. According to their statement on the social media platform X, Ibrahim Aqil and other commanders of his unit planned Hezbollah's “Conquest of Galilee” attack plan.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told X: “Israel’s goals were clear and its actions spoke for themselves.”

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also stated: “The measures of the new phase will continue until our objective is achieved: the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes.”

Following Israel's series of targeted attacks on Hezbollah, clashes broke out between Lebanon's and Israel's envoys in the United Nations Security Council on Friday. In his speech to the Council, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib called on the United Nations to condemn the pager attacks.

“If this terrorist attack is not condemned by your Council, if you do not name the perpetrator, if you do not deter, condemn and compel the perpetrator to stop such aggression, the credibility of this Council in terms of international law and human rights is at stake,” Habib warned, according to CNN.

The Lebanese Health Ministry said at least 14 people were killed in the attack. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams continued to work through the night. The ministry had previously said at least 66 people were injured, nine of them in critical condition, Reuters reported.

Several rockets were fired into the opening of a garage, resulting in the deaths of Aqil and other commanders. Witnesses reported hearing a loud whistle and several consecutive explosions at the time of the attack, reports said.

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Israel’s goals were clear and its actions spoke for themselves.