Lebanese authorities have arrested a man accused of working as an Israeli spy and allegedly infiltrating Hezbollah's internal network in one of the most significant counterintelligence cases in recent years. According to Lebanese investigators, the suspect is believed to have provided Israel with highly sensitive intelligence that allegedly helped identify targets for the assassinations of several senior Hezbollah military commanders during 2024. Reports claim the suspect maintained close access to Hezbollah's leadership and passed intelligence after meeting alleged Israeli intelligence operatives during trips abroad. Lebanese officials say he was arrested at Beirut's airport while attempting to leave the country for Iraq after months of surveillance.

Lebanon arrests alleged Israeli spy accused of infiltrating hezbollah &helping target top commanders

<p>Hezbollah's top commander Ibrahim Aqil, alongside two others, were killed in a strike,&nbsp;carried out by Israel on Friday (Sep 20) evening. The strikes took place in Lebanon's capital city of Beirut and its&nbsp;southern suburbs dealing a huge blow to the militant outfit whose chief, Hassan Nasrallah had vowed revenge against Israel, only a day before in a televised address.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Aqil was the second-in-command of Hezbollah's armed forces, behind Fuad Shukr who was also killed in an Israeli strike in July.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Israeli military confirmed Aqil's death saying he alongside his troops had&nbsp;gathered underground when they were targeted and killed in an airstrike.</p>

<p>“They gathered underground, under a residential building, in the heart of the Dahiyeh, while using civilians as a human shield. They met to coordinate terror activities against Israeli civilians,” said Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the IDF, Aqil was planning to "raid Israeli territory, occupy the communities of the Galilee, murder and kill innocents, similar to what the Hamas terror organisation carried out in the murderous massacre on October 7".&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/israel-hamas-war-eu-west-bank-becoming-a-new-gaza-758718"><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Israel-Hamas war | EU: West Bank becoming a new Gaza</strong></a></p>

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<h2><strong>Who was Ibrahim Aqil?</strong></h2>

<p>Ibrahim Aqil, also known as Tahsin, served in Hezbollah's&nbsp;highest military body, the Jihad Council. He also led the elite Radwan Force, the outfit's top military unit.</p>

<p>Formed after the 2006 Second Lebanon War, the Radwan Force was created to bolster Hezbollah’s offensive capabilities. The unit is primarily responsible for ground warfare, including high-risk missions such as infiltrating&nbsp;Israeli territory.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the 1980s, he was a principal member of Hezbollah's terrorist cell&nbsp;the Islamic Jihad Organisation, which claimed responsibility for the bombings of the American&nbsp;embassy in Beirut in April 1983, which killed 63 people, and the US&nbsp;Marine Corps barracks in October 1983, which killed 241 US&nbsp;personnel.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/senior-hezbollah-commander-ibrahim-aqil-killed-in-israeli-strike-in-beirut-760479"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Senior Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil killed in Israeli strike in Beirut</strong></a></p>

<p>In July 2015, the US&nbsp;Department of the Treasury listed Aqil as a Specially Designated National,&nbsp;for acting for or on behalf of Hezbollah.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In April last year, on the 40th anniversary of the attack on the US embassy, Washington put a reward of $7 million on Aqil's head.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Commenting on Aqil's death,&nbsp;White House national security spokesman John Kirby said he was “not aware” of Israel giving the US&nbsp;prior notice about the Beirut strike.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"War is not inevitable up there at the Blue Line, and we're going to continue to do everything we can to try to prevent it," added Kirby.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>Disclaimer: WION takes the utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq, and non-state actors like the Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.</em></p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em>&nbsp;</p>


Hezbollah's top commander Ibrahim Aqil, alongside two others, were killed in a strike, carried out by Israel on Friday (Sep 20) evening. The strikes took place in Lebanon's capital city of Beirut and its southern suburbs dealing a huge blow to the militant outfit whose chief, Hassan Nasrallah had vowed revenge against Israel, only a day before in a televised address.

Hezbollah's top commander Ibrahim Aqil, alongside two others, were killed in a strike, carried out by Israel on Friday (Sep 20) evening. The strikes took place in Lebanon's capital city of Beirut and its southern suburbs dealing a huge blow to the militant outfit whose chief, Hassan Nasrallah had vowed revenge against Israel, only a day before in a televised address. Aqil was the second-in-command of Hezbollah's armed forces, behind Fuad Shukr who was also killed in an Israeli strike in July. The Israeli military confirmed Aqil's death saying he alongside his troops had gathered underground when they were targeted and killed in an airstrike. “They gathered underground, under a residential building, in the heart of the Dahiyeh, while using civilians as a human shield. They met to coordinate terror activities against Israeli civilians,” said Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. According to the IDF, Aqil was planning to "raid Israeli territory, occupy the communities of the Galilee, murder and kill innocents, similar to what the Hamas terror organisation carried out in the murderous massacre on October 7". Watch | Israel-Hamas war | EU: West Bank becoming a new Gaza × Who was Ibrahim Aqil? Ibrahim Aqil, also known as Tahsin, served in Hezbollah's highest military body, the Jihad Council. He also led the elite Radwan Force, the outfit's top military unit. Formed after the 2006 Second Lebanon War, the Radwan Force was created to bolster Hezbollah’s offensive capabilities. The unit is primarily responsible for ground warfare, including high-risk missions such as infiltrating Israeli territory. In the 1980s, he was a principal member of Hezbollah's terrorist cell the Islamic Jihad Organisation, which claimed responsibility for the bombings of the American embassy in Beirut in April 1983, which killed 63 people, and the US Marine Corps barracks in October 1983, which killed 241 US personnel. Also read | Senior Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil killed in Israeli strike in Beirut In July 2015, the US Department of the Treasury listed Aqil as a Specially Designated National, for acting for or on behalf of Hezbollah. In April last year, on the 40th anniversary of the attack on the US embassy, Washington put a reward of $7 million on Aqil's head. Commenting on Aqil's death, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said he was “not aware” of Israel giving the US prior notice about the Beirut strike. "War is not inevitable up there at the Blue Line, and we're going to continue to do everything we can to try to prevent it," added Kirby. Disclaimer: WION takes the utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq, and non-state actors like the Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos. (With inputs from agencies)

Who was Ibrahim Aqil, chief of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force, killed in Israeli strike

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Lebanon arrests alleged Israeli spy accused of infiltrating hezbollah &helping target top commanders

Who was Ibrahim Aqil, chief of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force, killed in Israeli strike