In a series of targeted strikes over the course of just over a week, Israel has significantly escalated its actions against Hezbollah, resulting in the death of seven top commanders, including its leader. Hassan Nasrallah,
The increase came after Hezbollah joined forces with Hamas in Gaza, followed by Hamas’s surprise attack on southern Israel.
The loss of these key members, many of whom had been with Hezbollah since the early 1980s, poses a significant challenge to the organization, which is considered Lebanon’s most influential military and political force.
Among those killed was Nabil Kouak, a veteran commander who joined Hezbollah in the 1980s and was seen as a potential successor to Nasrallah.
Hezbollah leadership collapsed? Israel targets top high command in Beirut. Watch
Here are the 7 commanders who were ‘eliminated’ in Israeli attacks:
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a targeted airstrike on Hezbollah’s headquarters, resulting in the death of its leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah.
With the death of Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah for more than three decades, the organization faces a significant leadership void. Born in 1960 into a struggling Shia family, Nasrallah studied theology and joined the Amal movement before co-founding Hezbollah.
The group formally announced its formation in 1985, issuing an “open letter” naming the US and the Soviet Union as the main enemies of Islam and calling for the “elimination” of Israel.
Nabeel Kauk
A day after the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Israel has killed another high-ranking Hezbollah commander, Nabil Kouk, in an airstrike.
Nabil Kouk was a veteran of Hezbollah, having joined the organization in the 1980s. The United States imposed sanctions on Hezbollah in 2020 over its involvement in military operations in southern Lebanon.
Kouk also served as Hezbollah’s military commander in south Lebanon from 1995 to 2010. He made several media appearances and gave speeches to supporters, including at the funerals of slain Hezbollah militants. He was seen as a potential successor to Nasrallah.
ibrahim aqeel
Senior Hezbollah commander and head of the elite Radwan forces, Ibrahim Akil, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that Akil was planning attacks on Israeli territory with the goal of infiltrating and attacking communities in the Galilee.
The IDF said its objectives were similar to those of Hamas during the 7 October attacks.
In 2015, the US Treasury Department designated Akil as a Specially Designated National due to his actions on behalf of Hezbollah. In 2019, he was designated a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” by the US State Department. In the 1980s, Aqil was involved in major attacks, including the 1983 bombings of the US Embassy and US Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, which resulted in numerous casualties.
Ahmed Wehbe
Wehbe was the commander of Radwan Forces and played a key role in the group’s development since its formation nearly two decades ago. He was killed along with Akil in an airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, which destroyed a building.
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Ali Karaki
Karaki led Hezbollah’s southern front, playing a key role in the current conflict. The US described him as a key figure in the leadership of the terrorist group.
Little is known about Karaki, who was killed along with Nasrallah.
Mohammad Surour
Suroor was the head of Hezbollah’s drone unit, which was used for the first time in this current conflict with Israel.
Under his leadership, Hezbollah launched explosives and reconnaissance drones deep into Israel, breaching its defense systems, which focused mostly on the group’s rockets and missiles.
ibrahim kobesi
Top Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Mohammed Kobesi was killed in an Israeli strike on south Beirut. Kobeissi led Hezbollah’s missile unit.
According to the IDF, Kobeissi masterminded the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli soldiers on the northern border in 2000, whose bodies were returned in a prisoner swap with Hezbollah four years later.
Who will succeed Nasrallah?
Among the group’s survivors, no one is as incompetent and respectable as Nasrallah. the person widely considered to be his successor Hashem SaffieddinNasrallah’s cousin who oversees the group’s political affairs.
It is not known whether he survived Friday’s attack, and Hezbollah’s statement announcing Nasrallah’s death on Friday made no mention of a successor. The group’s Shura Council is to meet in the coming days or weeks to choose its new leadership
