Hezbollah
An Israeli airstrike on Beirut on Tuesday killed Ibrahim Qubaisi, the head of Hezbollah’s missile division. The cross-border firing between Israel and Hezbollah continued as the Iran-backed militant group fired over 300 rockets towards Israel.
Ibrahim Qubaisi, Hezbollah’s commander in charge of its rocket and missile forces, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed his death, stating that Qubaisi had been a central figure in Hezbollah’s missile capabilities for decades.
The airstrike followed intense cross-border clashes between Hezbollah and Israel, with the militant group launching approximately 300 rockets at northern Israeli cities including Haifa, Safed, and Nazareth. Israeli air raid sirens were triggered across the Galilee region.
In addition to Qubaisi, the IDF claimed that at least two other high-ranking Hezbollah commanders were eliminated in the strike. These leaders were involved in Hezbollah’s missile operations, which have increasingly posed a threat to Israel.
Hezbollah acknowledged Qubaisi’s death, releasing a statement describing him as a martyr “on the road to Jerusalem,” a term they use for fighters killed by Israeli forces.
A veteran of Hezbollah, Qubaisi joined the group in the 1980s. Over the years, he commanded various missile and rocket units, including the precision-guided missile program, and was deeply involved in Hezbollah’s military strategy against Israel. He had close ties with senior military leaders within the group.
Qubaisi played a key role in Hezbollah’s 2000 Mount Dov operation, which involved the abduction of three Israeli soldiers. The soldiers were later found dead, and their bodies were returned in a 2004 prisoner exchange. His involvement in that high-profile attack cemented his status within Hezbollah’s military wing.
The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that the airstrike on the Dahiyeh suburb also killed six civilians and injured 15 others. This is part of a broader escalation that has claimed hundreds of lives in Lebanon in recent days, mostly due to Israeli airstrikes.
Tuesday’s missile exchange follows a surge in violence between Israel and Hezbollah since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. There are growing concerns that this could spiral into a full-blown war involving multiple fronts in the Middle East, drawing in Iran-backed groups from Yemen and Iraq.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that Lebanon is on the brink of disaster, while US President Joe Biden urged both sides to avoid escalating the conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remained defiant, vowing to continue striking Hezbollah’s military targets in Lebanon. “We will continue to hit Hezbollah,” Netanyahu declared, stating that any home sheltering missiles would be destroyed.
In a significant escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, Hezbollah’s top missile commander was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut. The airstrike, which targeted a heavily fortified Hezbollah compound in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, comes amid rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant organization that holds sway over large portions of Lebanon.
The missile chief, whose identity has not been officially confirmed by Hezbollah at the time of this report, was reportedly a key figure in the group’s missile development and operations. His death represents a major blow to Hezbollah’s military capabilities, particularly its missile and rocket program, which has been a central component of its strategy in confronting Israel.
Background on Hezbollah’s Missile Capabilities
Hezbollah has long maintained a formidable arsenal of rockets and missiles, which it has used in numerous conflicts with Israel. The group’s missile capabilities have grown significantly over the past two decades, bolstered by Iranian support and technology transfers. According to Israeli intelligence, Hezbollah’s missile arsenal is estimated to include over 150,000 rockets and missiles, ranging from short-range rockets to more sophisticated precision-guided munitions (PGMs).
These PGMs are considered particularly threatening to Israel as they could potentially target critical infrastructure with greater accuracy than Hezbollah’s traditional rocket stockpiles. Hezbollah’s missile program has been a point of contention for years, with Israel repeatedly warning that the group’s expanding arsenal poses a direct and existential threat to its national security. The Israeli government has consistently emphasized that any escalation or threat from Hezbollah will be met with a firm military response.
Details of the Airstrike
The Israeli airstrike reportedly took place in the Dahiya district of southern Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold that has been the target of Israeli military operations in the past. Initial reports suggest that the airstrike was highly targeted, focusing on a specific Hezbollah facility known to house strategic military assets, including missiles and command structures. Local sources reported large explosions followed by intense fires, though Lebanese authorities have yet to release a full assessment of the damage.
While the exact timeline of the strike remains unclear, Israeli officials have neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attack, which is consistent with Israel’s policy of ambiguity regarding its military operations in foreign territories. However, Israel has a long history of launching preemptive strikes against Hezbollah targets, particularly those related to missile production and storage facilities.
Hezbollah’s Response
Hezbollah has yet to officially confirm the identity of the missile chief killed in the attack. However, the group has vowed revenge for the airstrike, and sources within the organization have signaled that a retaliatory strike on Israeli military or civilian targets could be imminent. Hezbollah’s media outlets, which are closely aligned with Iranian interests, have emphasized the significance of the airstrike, portraying the attack as an act of aggression that demands a swift and decisive response.
In the past, Hezbollah’s retaliatory measures have included cross-border rocket fire, ambushes on Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) patrols, and even cyberattacks. However, any retaliation is likely to be carefully calibrated, given the complex regional dynamics at play, particularly with the involvement of Iran, which provides substantial financial and military support to Hezbollah. Iran has used Hezbollah as a proxy in its broader confrontation with Israel and the United States in the region.
Regional Implications
The death of Hezbollah’s missile chief is likely to have far-reaching implications, both in terms of the group’s operational capacity and the broader geopolitical environment in the Middle East. The incident comes at a time when tensions between Israel and Iran are already at a high, with Israeli officials repeatedly warning that Iran’s nuclear and regional ambitions are a direct threat to its national security. Hezbollah, as Iran’s primary proxy in Lebanon, plays a critical role in these regional dynamics.
The potential for escalation between Hezbollah and Israel remains high. The conflict between the two has simmered since the 2006 Lebanon War, which ended in a fragile ceasefire but did little to resolve the underlying issues. Since then, Hezbollah has built up its military capabilities, while Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes targeting Hezbollah’s supply routes and weapons depots, particularly in Syria.
Lebanon, already grappling with an economic collapse and political instability, faces further destabilization if conflict between Hezbollah and Israel escalates. The Lebanese government has often been caught in the middle of Hezbollah’s actions and Israel’s retaliatory measures, struggling to assert its authority over a group that operates with significant autonomy within its borders.
International Reactions
International reactions to the airstrike have been measured, with many countries urging restraint and caution. The United Nations has called for calm and a return to diplomatic efforts to resolve tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. In Washington, U.S. officials reiterated their support for Israel’s right to defend itself while also calling for de-escalation. The European Union and several other international actors have expressed concern about the potential for the incident to spark a broader conflict.
Conclusion
The killing of Hezbollah’s missile chief in an Israeli airstrike represents a major development in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. It signals both Israel’s determination to curtail Hezbollah’s missile capabilities and the high-stakes nature of the confrontation between the two. While Hezbollah’s response is yet to be fully revealed, the potential for a significant escalation remains a serious concern for the entire region, particularly as Lebanon continues to face internal challenges and external pressures. The coming days and weeks will be crucial in determining whether this incident marks the beginning of a larger conflict or a continuation of the simmering tensions between the two adversaries.
