One day after Nasrallah, top Hezbollah official Nabil Qaouk killed in 'precise strike' on Beirut

Qaouk served on Hezbollah's Executive Council under Safi al-Din

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The IDF announced on Sunday morning that it had killed the terrorist Nabil Qaouk, the commander of Hezbollah's Preventative Security Unit, and also a member of the terrorist organization's Executive Council.

The announcement came just one day after the confirmation that Hezbollah Sec.-Gen. Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Qaouk was killed in an airstrike carried out with precise information from the IDF Intelligence Directorate, the IDF said. He had reportedly survived a first assassination attempt several months ago.

🔴ELIMINATED: The Commander of Hezbollah's Preventative Security Unit and a member of their Executive Council, Nabil Qaouk, was eliminated in a precise IDF strike.

Qaouk was close to Hezbollah's senior commanders and was directly engaged in terrorist attacks against the State of… pic.twitter.com/dcvKLRkMbf
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 29, 2024

As head of the Preventative Security Unit, he was responsible for the group's counter intelligence effort, including the obvious, drastic failures in this domain over the past weeks.

Nabil Qaouk was among the group's most recognizable leaders and had a large presence in Lebanese media.

He joined Hezbollah in the 1980s and was regarded as an important center of knowledge for the group, having previously served as deputy commander and commander of the southern region, as well as deputy chairman of the Executive Council.

“The IDF will continue to strike and eliminate the commanders within the Hezbollah terrorist organization and will act against anyone who threatens the citizens of the State of Israel,” the military announcement read.

Hezbollah confirmed Qaouk’s death in a terse statement, describing him as a “martyr on the road to al-Quds (Jerusalem),” as it refers to its members who sacrifice their lives in service of the terror group.

The strike was first announced by Lebanese media, which provided Qaouk’s name before the IDF or Hezbollah had officially confirmed his death.

Lebanese media says the target of the strike was Nabil Qaouk, deputy head of Hezbollah's executive council. The fate of Hashem Safieddine, the current council head and expected successor to Nasrallah, remains unknown. https://t.co/mEFEafYZzf pic.twitter.com/ZhnS8JPfFN
— Ariel Oseran (@ariel_oseran) September 28, 2024

According to the website, "Eye on Hezbollah," an American project that tracks data about the terror organization, Qaouk was deputy chairman of the executive council under its head Hashem Safi al-Din, the designated successor to Hassan Nasrallah.

The Executive Council of Hezbollah serves as the organization's primary political body, with only partial representation from its military branch, the Jihad Council. The Executive Council operates under the Shura Council, similar to how Iran's political system is subject to the authority of clerical bodies like the Council of Guardians and the Assembly of Experts.

The council is responsible for the daily operations of the larger organization, including cultural, educational, social and political affairs.

Qaouk was killed in the Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold, where several other high-profile leaders have been eliminated over the past two months.