Israel Says Brother of Michigan Synagogue Attacker Was Hezbollah Commander

The IDF said Sunday that the brother of the man who rammed a vehicle into a Michigan synagogue was a Hezbollah commander responsible for weapons operations in the terror group.

According to the IDF, Ibrahim Muhammad Ghazali served in a specialized branch of Hezbollah’s Badr Unit, which launched hundreds of rockets at Israeli civilians during the recent war with Iran. The revelation comes as U.S. authorities continue investigating the attack carried out by his brother, Ayman Muhammad Ghazali, at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan

Ayman Muhammad Ghazali, 41, entered the United States in 2011 as the spouse of an American citizen and was granted U.S. citizenship in 2016, according to the Department of Homeland Security. He lived in Dearborn Heights, a Detroit suburb with a large Arab-American population.

Local officials in Lebanon told the Associated Press that Ibrahim Ghazali was killed in an Israeli airstrike on March 5 in the town of Mashgharah, in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. The strike reportedly killed two of his brothers as well as a niece and a nephew. According to the local official, the family had gathered for a fast-breaking meal during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan when the strike occurred.

Just days later, on Thursday, March 12, Ayman Ghazali drove approximately 38 miles from his home in Dearborn Heights to Temple Israel, one of the largest Reform synagogues in the United States. The synagogue complex includes a preschool and early childhood center.

Authorities said Ghazali rammed a vehicle into the building. The car was reportedly packed with fireworks and gasoline containers. After crashing the vehicle, he exchanged gunfire with an armed security guard at the synagogue.

The vehicle caught fire during the confrontation, and Ghazali ultimately died after becoming trapped inside the burning car. At the time of the attack, about 140 children, teachers, and staff members were inside the building. None were injured. Officials credited the synagogue’s security measures and the quick response of staff with preventing what could have been a mass-casualty event.

“If they had not all done their jobs almost perfectly, we would be talking about an immense tragedy here with children gone,” U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin said during a news conference following the attack.

The FBI said it is investigating the incident as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community. Jewish institutions across the United States have increased security in recent years amid a rise in antisemitic threats and attacks.

In Dearborn Heights, a mosque reportedly held a service for Ghazali’s relatives last weekend. Authorities in the United States have not publicly stated a final motive for the attack, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Ibrahim Muhammad Ghazali, brother of Temple Israel Synagogue attacker Ayman Ghazali, has been identified by the IDF as a Hezbollah commander. Facebook/Youmna Ghazali