Israel attacked Hezbollah official Ibrahim Akil in an attack in Lebanon that killed 14 people: NPR

BEIRUT – The Israeli military launched an airstrike on a suburb of the Lebanese capital on Friday, after a week of deadly attacks that have intensified fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah.

The Israeli military said it carried out a “targeted attack” on senior Hezbollah official Ibrahim Akil and that several other Hezbollah officials were killed. Hezbollah has not confirmed any of the deaths.

The attack killed 14 people and injured 66 others, The Associated Press reported, citing the Lebanese Health Ministry.

In a briefing, Israel's military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said Akil planned an attack on Israel's northern communities. “These terrorists wanted to do in northern Israel what Hamas did in southern Israel on October 7 – invade Israeli homes and kill innocent people,” he said.

“Our enemies have no refuge – not even in the Dahieh in Beirut,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant wrote on the social platform X.

Akil (also spelled Aqil) was wanted by the United States for his involvement in deadly attacks on the U.S. embassy in Beirut and the Marine barracks in 1983, as well as other militant operations, the State Department said.

Lebanon's national news agency said on Friday that an airstrike hit a building near the al-Qaim complex used for religious gatherings in the Dahiyeh district south of Beirut. Lebanese television showed footage of extensive building damage, wrecked cars and ambulances racing to the scene.

The attack came hours after Hezbollah bombarded northern Israel with 140 rockets, most of which were shot down by Israel. The two sides exchanged dozens of rockets across the Israeli-Lebanese border overnight.

This latest wave of fighting followed a series of near-simultaneous explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah members and allies in Lebanon and parts of Syria that killed more than 32 people and injured thousands, according to Lebanese health officials. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed retaliation against Israel on Thursday.

Israel has not commented publicly on the electronic device attacks, but a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak to reporters told NPR that Israel had informed Washington of Tuesday's pager attacks.

The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Türk, said: “The simultaneous attack on thousands of people, be they civilians or members of armed groups, without knowing who is in possession of the targeting devices, who is where and what environment they are in” violates international law.

Hezbollah is classified as a terrorist organization by the United States and other countries. Although it enjoys some support in Lebanon, has a political party and a powerful militia – with Iranian support – many Lebanese fear it is leading their country into open war.

“Lebanon cannot afford to have war waged on its soil against other peoples and nations,” said Lebanese MP Najat Aoun Saliba. “And that is exactly what Hezbollah is doing.”

Jane Arraf reported from Beirut; Kat Lonsdorf and Ruth Sherlock reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.
Aya Batrawy, Vincent Ni and Alex Leff contributed to this story.