The army and security forces were deployed in the southern suburbs of Beirut after an Israeli raid targeting a Hezbollah military official on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (Credit: AFP)
Another high-ranking Hezbollah commander has been targeted. On Monday, following its escalation in Lebanon, Israel conducted a targeted strike in the Bir al-Abed neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs. This marks the fourth raid aimed at the outskirts of the capital since Oct. 8, 2023. This time, the Israeli attack aimed to kill Ali Karaki, described as the leader of the southern front within Hezbollah. Although Hezbollah claimed in a statement that this attempt failed, asserting that Karaki was in "perfect health" and "safe," the operation illustrates Israel's determination to confront the military leadership of the party.
Citing two Israeli sources, the American site Axios describes Karaki as the most prominent military commander in the party following the assassinations of Chief of Staff Fouad Shukur in August and the leader of the elite Radwan unit, Ibrahim Aqil, last week. Here’s what we know about Karaki, known as "Abou Fadel."
Karaki, who also holds Guinean nationality, was born in 1967 and hails from the district of Nabatieh. Like Shukur and Aqil before him, he sits on Hezbollah's highest military body, the Jihad Council. Members of this council, responsible for key strategic, military and security decisions for the party, are prime targets for the Hebrew state. According to the Israeli site Mako, affiliated with Channel 12, Karaki derives significant prestige from his position as the operations head in southern Lebanon, especially since he plays a "key role in the ongoing war."
According to the Israeli army, he was the direct superior of Taleb Abdallah and Mohammad Nasser, the respective commanders of Hezbollah's "Nasr" and "Aziz" units, which share the operational area south of the Litani River. The assassination of these two war leaders, between June and July, was considered a significant blow to Hezbollah, whose leader, Hassan Nasrallah, delivered a speech at their funerals.
The aforementioned site also specifies that Karaki is among the last surviving members of this council, along with Mohammad Haidar (a former deputy responsible for Hezbollah networks operating outside Lebanon) and Talal Hamieh (head of Unit 910, responsible for clandestine operations). According to the media outlet Maariv, Karaki had previously survived the targeted strike that killed another commander, Abbas al-Debs, on Feb. 8. In September 2019, he was sanctioned by the United States along with other members of the Jihad Council.
Meanwhile, Yediot Aharonot reported on Sept. 21 that following the assassination of Aqil, head of Hezbollah's elite Radwan unit, Karaki was seen as the favorite to succeed him. Some Israeli media, such as the site Zman, even claim that he is the new de facto commander. Channel 11 notes that Karaki has recently gained influence and was jointly leading Hezbollah's military wing with Aqil after the assassination of Shukur.
Behedrei Haradim, an ultra-Orthodox news site, confirms this version, indicating that Karaki was the number four in the council, behind Shukur and Aqil. Since then, he has effectively taken the lead in Hezbollah's military hierarchy, just behind Hassan Nasrallah.
As always following an assassination attempt against a Hezbollah leader, a Hebrew Wikipedia page was created immediately after the strike.
