US officials say killing of top Hezbollah man a ‘good outcome’ and ‘nobody sheds a tear’
At the same time, Washington says its policy is to prevent full-blown war between Israel and Lebanese terror group
US officials on Saturday expressed approval of the death of Ibrahim Aqil, a top Hezbollah commander responsible for a 1983 bombing that killed 241 Americans in Beirut, who was killed by an Israeli strike on the Lebanese capital on Friday.
Aqil, the head of operations for Hezbollah, was killed in the strike along with top commanders of the terror group’s elite Radwan Force, as they met in the basement of a Beirut residential building. Lebanese officials said 37 people were killed in the strike, including three children and several women.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan called Aqil’s death “a good outcome,” adding that he planned to speak with Israeli officials later Saturday about the operation.
“That individual has American blood on his hands and has a Reward for Justice price on his head,” Sullivan told reporters on the sidelines of the Quad summit that US President Joe Biden is hosting in Wilmington, Delaware. “He is somebody who the United States promised long ago we would do everything we could to see brought to justice.”
Before Friday’s strike, the US had offered a $7 million reward for information on Aqil.
Sullivan added that the moment was also meaningful for the American victims. “You know 1983 seems like a long time ago,” he said. “But for a lot of families and a lot of people, they’re still living with it every day.”
Nevertheless, Sullivan said he was still worried about possible escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.
“Ibrahim Aqil, who was killed today, was responsible for the Beirut barracks and embassy bombing 40 years ago. So nobody sheds a tear for him,” Brett McGurk, the White House Mideast czar, said Friday while addressing the Israeli-American Council’s conference in Washington.
“That said, we have disagreements with the Israelis on tactics and how you kind of measure escalation risk. It is a very concerning situation. I’m very confident that through diplomacy, through deterrence and other means, we’ll work our way out of it,” he added.
“We do not think a war in Lebanon is the way to achieve the objective, to return people to their homes. We also fully stand with Israel in their defense of their people and their territory against Hezbollah,” McGurk continued. “We want a diplomatic settlement to the north. That is the objective, and that’s what we’re working towards.”
WH coordinator for the ME at the @israeliamerican conference on Lebanon:
“We do not think a war in Lebanon is the way to achieve the objective, to return people to their homes. We also fully stand with Israel in their defense of their people and their territory against Hezbollah.… pic.twitter.com/COtwEXTNkq— יונה לייבזון yuna leibzon (@YunaLeibzon) September 20, 2024
Republican Senator Tom Cotton reacted on X to Aqil’s death, saying he “was a vicious terrorist mastermind who helped murder hundreds of Americans. On behalf of the families of the Marines killed in the Beirut bombings — and on behalf of all Americans — I’m grateful justice has finally been served to this killer.”
Ibrahim Aqil was a vicious terrorist mastermind who helped murder hundreds of Americans. On behalf of the families of the Marines killed in the Beirut bombings—and on behalf of all Americans—I’m grateful justice has finally been served to this killer.
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) September 20, 2024
Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have escalated dramatically over the past week following the explosions allegedly caused by Israel of Hezbollah communication devices on Tuesday and Wednesday and the hundreds of rockets that were fired at northern Israel from Lebanon.
Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there.
So far, the skirmishes have resulted in 26 civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 22 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.
Hezbollah has named 501 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. Another 79 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and dozens of civilians have also been killed.
