Ali Karaki (Arabic: علي كركي; 1967 – 27 September 2024) was a Lebanese militant who was a member of the Jihad Council of Hezbollah.[1] He served as the commander of the Southern Front of Hezbollah.
Ali Karaki | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1967 Ain Bouswar, Nabatieh, Lebanon |
| Died | 27 September 2024 (aged 56–57) Dahieh, Lebanon |
| Cause of death | Assassination by airstrike |
| Allegiance | Hezbollah |
| Battles/wars | Lebanese Civil War 2006 Lebanon War Israel–Hezbollah conflict |
Karaki was reportedly killed alongside the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, during a targeted assassination that took place while a leadership meeting was being held at their headquarters in Dahieh.[2]
Life and career
Karaki was born in 1967 in Ain Bouswar, Nabatieh Governorate, located in the south of Lebanon.[3] After completing his university studies, he joined the ranks of Hezbollah during the Lebanese Civil War. Over time, he rose through the ranks and took part in the 2006 Lebanon War. Karaki later became a member of Hezbollah's Jihad Council, which is Hezbollah's supreme command and served as the commander of the southern front. Additionally, he held Guinean citizenship.[3]
Karaki had been involved in various terrorist activities, particularly in southern Lebanon, and had been linked to Hezbollah's strategic operations against Israel. In September 2019, he was sanctioned by the US State Department, which described him as a significant figure within Hezbollah's military leadership.[4]
In February 2024, Israel attempted to assassinate him in a car bombing in Nabatieh, but he was not in the target vehicle.[5] After the elimination of Ibrahim Aqil, he was appointed to serve as one of his two successors in leading the campaign against Israel on the northern front of the Israel–Hamas war. He was considered the number 3 commander in Hezbollah after Aqil's assassination.[6]
Death
On 23 September 2024, it was reported that Karaki was targeted in an airstrike by Israel while he was in an apartment in the Bir al-Abed area of the Dahieh district in Beirut.[7][8] He was injured but survived.[9] His survival was attributed to the IDF using an insufficient quantity of explosives.[10]
On 27 September 2024, he was killed alongside Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah in another airstrike in Beirut. Hezbollah announced Nasrallah's death the next day after his body was found under the rubble.[11][12]
References
- ^ Beeri, Tal (27 November 2023). "Hezbollah's General Staff – The Jihad Council and its main subordinate units". Alma Research and Education Center. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ "Hezbollah confirms its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike". AP News. 28 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ a b قائد الجبهة الجنوبية بحزب الله.. ما لانعرفه عن علي كركي (in Arabic). Al Arabiya. 28 September 2024.
- ^ Atallah, Nada Maucourant. "Who is Ali Karaki, Hezbollah senior commander and target of Israeli strike on Lebanon?". The National. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
- ^ Beeri, Tal (27 November 2023). "Hezbollah's General Staff – The Jihad Council and its main subordinate units". Alma Research and Education Center. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ "N12 - אחרי חיסול איבראהים עקיל: אלה בכירי חיזבאללה שנותרו". N12. 20 September 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ "Israeli forces launch large-scale attack on Dahiyeh in Beirut". Mehr News Agency. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ N12; גלובס, שירות (23 September 2024). "ניסיון חיסול בלב הדאחייה; אזעקות במרכז חיפה". Globes. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "IDF targets one of Nasrallah's last remaining deputies; Hezbollah says he's alive". The Times of Israel. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
- ^ Inside Israel's operation: Step-by-step breakdown of how Nasrallah was eliminated
- ^ "Israel tracked Nasrallah for months before the assassination, officials say". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "Hezbollah confirms Nasrallah is killed after Israeli strike". Middle East Monitor. Retrieved 28 September 2024.