Top Hezbollah Commander among 14 Killed in Israeli Strike on Beirut

 Residents and rescuers gather at the scene of a missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP)
Residents and rescuers gather at the scene of a missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP)
TT
20

Top Hezbollah Commander among 14 Killed in Israeli Strike on Beirut

 Residents and rescuers gather at the scene of a missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP)
Residents and rescuers gather at the scene of a missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP)

Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander and other senior figures in the Lebanese movement in an airstrike on Beirut on Friday, vowing to press on with a new military campaign until it is able to secure the area around the Lebanese border.

The Israeli military and a security source in Lebanon said Ibrahim Aqil had been killed with other senior members of an elite Hezbollah unit in the airstrike, sharply escalating the year-long conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed group.

Hezbollah confirmed Aqil's death in a statement just after midnight that called him "one of its top leaders," without providing details of how he died.

In a later statement summarizing Aqil's biography, Hezbollah said he was killed in Beirut's southern suburbs of Dahiyeh in what it called a "treacherous Israeli assassination".

Lebanon's health ministry said at least 14 people died in the strike and the toll was expected to climb as rescue teams worked through the night. It was not immediately known whether the toll included Aqil and other Hezbollah commanders.

Earlier, the ministry said at least 66 people were injured, nine of whom were in critical condition.

A second security source said at least six other Hezbollah commanders died when multiple missiles slammed into the opening of a building's garage. The explosion tore into the building's lower levels as Aqil met other commanders inside.

Witnesses reported hearing a loud whistling and several consecutive blasts at the time of the strike.

In a brief statement carried by Israeli media, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's goals were clear and its actions spoke for themselves.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who said this week that Israel is launching a new phase of war on the northern border, posted on X: "The sequence of actions in the new phase will continue until our goal is achieved: the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes."

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from homes on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border since Hezbollah began rocketing Israel in October in sympathy with Palestinians in the nearly year-old Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza.

Israel, which last fought an all-out war against Hezbollah 18 years ago, has said it will use force if necessary to ensure its citizens can return to northern Israel.

The Israeli military described Aqil as the acting commander of the Radwan special forces unit, and said it had killed him along with around 10 other senior commanders as they met. Aqil sat on Hezbollah's top military council, sources in Lebanon told Reuters.

The strike inflicted another blow on Hezbollah after two days of attacks in which pagers and walkie-talkies used by its members exploded, killing 37 people and wounding thousands. Those attacks were widely believed to have been carried out by Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.

Local broadcasters showed groups of people gathered near the site, and reported they were searching for missing people, most of them children. Drones were still flying over Beirut's southern suburbs hours after the strike.

"We are not afraid, but we want a solution. We cannot continue with the country like this," said Alain Feghali, a resident of Beirut who spoke to Reuters. "War? I don't know if it started or not, but nothing is reassuring. It is clear that the two sides will not stop."

The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine-Hennis Plasschaert, said Friday's strike in a densely populated area of Beirut's southern suburbs was part of "an extremely dangerous cycle of violence with devastating consequences. This must stop now."

The strike marked the second time in less than two months that Israel has targeted a leading Hezbollah military commander in Beirut. In July, an Israeli airstrike killed Fuad Shukr, the group's top military commander.

Aqil had a $7-million bounty on his head from the United States over his link to the deadly bombing of Marines in Lebanon in 1983, according to the US State Department website.

The Israeli military said Aqil had been head of Hezbollah operations since 2004 and was responsible for a plan to launch a raid on northern Israel, similar to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 that triggered the war in Gaza.

"The Hezbollah commanders we eliminated today had been planning their ‘October 7th’ on the northern border for years," Israeli army chief General Herzi Halevi said.

"We reached them, and we will reach anyone who threatens the security of Israel's citizens."

RUBBLE AND BURNT-OUT CARS

The Israeli military reported warning sirens in northern Israel following the Beirut strike, and Israeli media reported heavy rocket fire there.

Hezbollah said it twice fired Katyusha rockets at what it described as the main intelligence headquarters in northern Israel "which is responsible for assassinations".

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said he was not aware of any Israeli notification to the United States before the Beirut strike, adding Americans were strongly urged not to travel to Lebanon, or to leave if they were there.

However, he added that, "war is not inevitable ... and we're going to continue to do everything we can to try to prevent it."

The current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, ignited by the Gaza war, has intensified significantly this week.

On Thursday night, the Israeli military carried out its most intensive airstrikes in southern Lebanon since the conflict erupted almost a year ago.

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is the worst since they fought a war in 2006. Tens of thousands of people have had to leave homes on both sides of the border.

While the conflict has largely been contained to areas at or near the frontier, this week's escalation has heightened concerns that it could widen and further intensify.



Mansouri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Lebanese Pound Stable, Banks Vital for Economy

Lebanon’s acting Central Bank Governor Wassim Mansouri (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Lebanon’s acting Central Bank Governor Wassim Mansouri (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
20

Mansouri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Lebanese Pound Stable, Banks Vital for Economy

Lebanon’s acting Central Bank Governor Wassim Mansouri (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Lebanon’s acting Central Bank Governor Wassim Mansouri (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Lebanon’s acting central bank governor, Dr. Wassim Mansouri, has removed concrete barriers from outside the central bank’s headquarters on Beirut’s famous Hamra Street and reopened the museum of currency and art to the public.

The move sends a positive message, symbolizing the restoration of state authority and a step toward ending institutional paralysis as Lebanon undergoes key political and economic changes.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Mansouri affirmed he is committed to leaving the central bank in better shape for his successor, once a new government is formed and key appointments are made.
He said removing the barriers reflects his efforts to restore trust after past policies deepened Lebanon’s financial and economic crises.

Mansouri has a clear message for the public: “One of Lebanon’s problems is that leaders often look to other roles instead of focusing on their current duties. My priority is to fulfill my responsibilities until my last day in office.”

“I hope my time here is temporary because appointing a permanent governor would restore institutional stability. I’ve called for this since taking office on August 1, 2023, and I stand by it today,” added Mansouri.

Rebuilding Trust

Mansouri says his mission is clear: “Rebuilding trust.” This starts with restoring the state’s authority, restructuring institutions, and improving the performance of Lebanon’s legislative, executive, and judicial branches to address the country’s five-year economic collapse.

Since stepping into the role, Mansouri has focused on restoring stability, guided by laws that ensure the central bank’s independence. He works closely with his team, emphasizing collective efforts to manage liquidity, foreign reserves, and gradual repayments to depositors.

Governance and Transparency

Mansouri has prioritized governance reforms, including making the central bank’s operations more transparent and aligning financial statements with international standards. Key steps include unifying exchange rates and insulating the bank from political interference, earning praise from global financial institutions.

Two months into his role, the Gaza war spilled into southern Lebanon, creating economic losses of up to $10 billion. Amid the turmoil, Mansouri introduced strict policies to stabilize the currency, avoid state borrowing from central bank reserves, and provide US dollar liquidity for depositors.

Despite the challenges, Mansouri’s approach has offered a measure of stability and hope for recovery during one of Lebanon’s most difficult times.

Curbing Speculation and Ensuring Stability

“We survived,” said Mansouri, reflecting on efforts to stabilize Lebanon’s currency during uncertain times.

Even as Lebanon saw positive political shifts, including the election of General Joseph Aoun as president and Judge Nawaf Salam as prime minister-designate, Mansouri’s strategies prevented harmful speculation and safeguarded the Lebanese pound.

During this period, Mansouri and his team worked around the clock, injecting over 20 trillion pounds into the market and another 10 trillion pounds to meet banking needs.

These measures stabilized the currency, added $300 million to reserves, and raised total foreign reserves to $10.35 billion. Mansouri sent a clear message to speculators: the exchange rate will remain stable, and profiteering from market volatility won’t be tolerated.

Building Reserves and Looking Ahead

With reserves growing by $2 billion, Mansouri sees this as a foundation for stability. He is optimistic about future dollar inflows from tourism and remittances, particularly as Gulf visitors and Lebanese expatriates return.

“We aim to tie demand for the Lebanese pound to real economic progress, not just positive headlines,” he said, reiterating his commitment to maintaining the current exchange rate.

Addressing Depositors’ Rights

Mansouri also acknowledged the urgency of resolving the issue of frozen bank deposits. “Depositors have legitimate rights, and we need a clear plan to address them,” he said, urging cooperation among the government, central bank, and commercial banks.

Since taking office, the central bank has reviewed 1.26 million accounts, totaling $86 billion, and provided detailed data to guide repayment plans. “We’re closer than ever to a solution,” Mansouri said. “Restoring trust in the banking sector is essential for Lebanon’s recovery, and that starts with ensuring depositors regain their funds and faith in the system.”

Lebanon Avoids Financial Disruption Despite Gray List Inclusion

Lebanon’s central bank has taken proactive steps to shield the country’s financial system following the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) decision to place Lebanon on its “gray list” of nations with deficiencies in combating money laundering.

By leveraging its historical trust with global banks and showcasing the local financial sector’s strict adherence to international standards, the central bank ensured minimal disruption to transfers and credit operations, maintaining existing costs and workflows.

The FATF report, released in late October, specifically exonerated the central bank, noting it had fulfilled its obligations by issuing necessary directives. As a result, neither the central bank nor the banking sector it supervises needs to implement any of the ten recommendations the FATF outlined for state institutions, including security and judicial bodies.

Notably, the report does not include the cash economy among its required actions, which Mansouri sees as a positive signal.

“The international body overseeing financial crimes has accepted our measures for monitoring cash flows, whether through banks or physical channels,” said Mansouri.

“This reinforces trust in our financial and banking systems, and it’s a responsibility we must uphold going forward,” he added.
Mansouri emphasized that any future assistance should flow through Lebanon’s legitimate financial channels under frameworks established by the government.

“The indications are promising, and we must build on this momentum to safeguard our financial sector and attract further support,” he affirmed.