This story has been updated to include new details.

The Israeli military confirmed that they killed a prominent Hezbollah leader, wanted by the U.S. for his involvement in the 1983 bombings of both the American Embassy and the Marine Corps barracks that together claimed 300 lives.

This leader, Ibrahim Aqil, was under a $7 million bounty offered by the State Department for information that could lead to his capture.

The attack reportedly killed Aqil along with nearly 10 other high-ranking commanders from Hezbollah’s Radwan special forces unit. According to Lebanese officials, the total fatalities reached 12, with 66 others injured.

“The Hezbollah commanders we eliminated today had been plotting their ‘October 7th’ attack on the Northern border for years,” remarked Israeli army chief General Herzi Halevi, referencing a deadly Hamas offensive in 2023 that left 1,200 Israelis dead.

“We have reached these commanders, and we will pursue anyone who poses a threat to the safety of Israeli citizens,” Halevi added.

According to the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, which cited Lebanese sources, four missiles targeted various locations in the Dahiya district of Beirut, including a facility known to be utilized by Hezbollah.

The State Department has described Aqil, who is also referred to as Tahsin, as a member of Hezbollah’s elite Jihad Council.

During the 1980s, at a time when various factions were fighting for influence in Lebanon and while a U.S. Marine contingent was deployed as a peacekeeping mission, Aqil played a significant role in Hezbollah’s Islamic Jihad Organization.

This organization claimed responsibility for the April 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut that resulted in 63 fatalities, as well as the October bombing that year which killed 241 American servicemen.

Aqil was also involved in the kidnapping of American and German hostages in Lebanon, as noted by the State Department last year. In 2019, the department labeled him a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist.”

Aqil’s death occurred during a significant series of air strikes targeting Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon late Thursday into Friday, raising concerns about potential escalation in the ongoing border conflict.

The airstrikes were in response to a vow from Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah to retaliate against Israel, which is accused of staging a two-day attack in Lebanon that involved Hezbollah pagers and handheld radios exploding, resulting in over 30 deaths and serious injuries to thousands. Israel has not responded to these specific claims.

The Israeli Defense Forces reported targeting over a hundred Hezbollah missile launchers as well as a munitions depot on Thursday and Friday, including sites in Beirut. Social media and Lebanese state media showcased images of smoke rising over areas in southern Beirut.

Hezbollah retaliated with missile strikes towards Israel on Friday, resulting in fires; however, there were no immediate reports of injuries.

Nasrallah declared the explosions involving pagers and walkie-talkies as crossing “all red lines,” characterizing them as a “declaration of war.”

Lebanon’s foreign minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, cautioned that the “open assault on Lebanon’s sovereignty and security” could be a dangerous indicator of an impending broader conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

Hezbollah, backed by Iran and a supporter of Hamas, has been launching near-daily missile attacks into Israeli territory since October 7, following Hamas’s offensive against Israel. Consequently, about 60,000 residents from northern Israel have relocated south to escape Hezbollah’s bombardments.

Israel has committed to ensuring the safety of its citizens.

People are being allowed to return to northern Israel. On Friday, the IDF lifted temporary restrictions on movement and large gatherings that had been imposed on communities in northern Israel and the Golan Heights.

Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, announced that the country is “entering a new stage of the conflict.”

Hezbollah and Israel have a long history of rivalry and last engaged in a significant war in 2006.