What to know about the strike that Israel says killed Hezbollah senior leaders in Lebanon

 The Israeli military claimed that it killed Hezbollah military official Ibrahim Aqil in a strike in Lebanon on Friday. Senior operatives in Hezbollah’s operations staff and commanders from Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force were also killed, it said.

At least 12 people have died and 66 others have been wounded in the “targeted” strike in southern Beirut.

Here are the key things to know:

• Who is Aqil?: The US has accused Aqil of involvement in the 1983 US embassy strike, which killed 63 people, as well as the Hezbollah bombing of the Beirut Marine barracks, which killed 241 US personnel later that year. Last year, the US State Department announced a reward of up to $7 million for information on him.
• More about the strike: At least one residential building collapsed in the Jamous area of Beirut’s southern suburbs after the strike. Specialized search and rescue teams were on their way to search for those under the rubble, Lebanon’s Civil Defense said in a statement Friday, and it instructed people to evacuate the site of the destruction.
• Why Israel carried it out: Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that “about 10 commanders” from Hezbollah were killed. The military alleged that Aqil and the commanders were the architects of a plan to raid and occupy communities in Galilee in northern Israel and kill civilians and Israeli soldiers, comparing it to the October 7 attacks carried out by Hamas last year.  

• World reaction: The Lebanese government has requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council following the strike in Beirut and accused Israel of carrying out acts “akin to genocide” on Lebanese soil. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati will travel to New York on Friday to address the United Nations directly. Israel’s UN ambassador will tell the Security Council the “diplomatic window of opportunity is closing” to condemn and restrain Hezbollah and Iran, the country’s mission to the UN said.
• What the US is saying: A White House spokesperson was “not aware” of any advance notice from Israel to the US ahead of Friday’s strike. President Joe Biden said his administration wants to get people back to their homes safely and voiced optimism that a ceasefire and hostage deal could get done, despite tension in the Middle East.
• In Gaza: At least 13 family members were killed in an Israeli strike on a house in an area northeast of Rafah on Friday, Dr. Mohammad Saqer at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis told CNN. Witnesses told CNN that a number of people are still under the rubble and fear that the death toll could be higher.