At around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, the Israeli Air Force carried out an airstrike that killed the commander of Hezbollah’s rocket and missile division, Ibrahim Muhammad Qubaisi, along with Hezbollah members Ibrahim Sharaf al-Din, Muhammad Hussein Ali Rabah and Hussein Ali Majid. At least two civilians, including a woman named Fatima Hamada, were also killed in the air raid, which injured at least 15 others. The attack occurred in the Al-Ghobeiry municipality, south of the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

Relatives of Fatima posted farewell messages for her on Facebook. User Rania Zorq mourned Fatima Hamada, their uncle’s wife, expressing “congratulations” on her “martyrdom” and sharing a photo of her wearing a hijab, gently smiling at the camera while holding a plate beside what appears to be a tray of pastries.

The IDF confirmed shortly after the airstrike that Ibrahim Muhammad Qabisi was “eliminated.” According to an official statement shared via X, “additional central commanders in Hezbollah’s Missiles and Rockets Force” were also killed, but the IDF did not provide further details about their identities. Hezbollah confirmed the death of Muhammad Qabisi in a post on Telegram hours later.

Sources including Sharouk News reported that three floors of a residential building were destroyed in the attack. The Lebanese General Directorate of Civil Defense announced via Facebook that its specialised search and rescue teams completed “a comprehensive field survey” in the area of the strike at around 3 A.M. the following day, confirming that six people were killed and that 15 wounded were transferred to nearby hospitals. It is unknown whether these six people were all civilians, or whether they included the Hezbollah militants.

Photos and videos shared on social media revealed the extent of the damage in the densely populated suburb. In a video posted on X by user @mosha3324, several cars appear heavily damaged by rubble that fell from the building, leaving the street impassable. Footage aired by Al Jazeera shows members of the Civil Defense assessing the damage and searching for survivors in the upper part of the building. A photo shared on Facebook by user Marwan Turki depicts a large cloud of smoke engulfing the surrounding buildings. Another video shared by Rasd News captures a teenager in a visible state of shock, his face covered in dust from the rubble, walking down the smoke-covered street.