Israel confirms Michigan synagogue attacker’s brother was Hezbollah terrorist commander

Authorities have confirmed that the man who drove a vehicle into a Jewish preschool in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, on Thursday was linked to a family with deep ties to Hezbollah.

The attacker, 41-year-old Ayman Muhammad Ghazali, was killed at the scene after colliding with Temple Israel, a major Reform synagogue that includes a school and childcare center. Israeli Defense Forces officials stated Sunday that Ghazali’s brother, Ibrahim Muhammad Ghazali, served as a commander in Hezbollah’s Badr Unit, overseeing weapons operations.

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

This particular unit of the Lebanese organization has been responsible for firing hundreds of rockets into civilian areas of Israel during recent conflicts involving Iran. Just days before the Michigan attack, a March 5 Israeli airstrike struck the town of Mashgharah in Lebanon, killing two of Ayman Ghazali’s brothers, a niece, and a nephew, according to local officials. The strike occurred as the family gathered for a Ramadan iftar meal.

Ghazali had entered the United States in 2011 as the spouse of a US citizen and later obtained US citizenship in 2016 under President Trump, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed. On Thursday, he traveled roughly 38 miles from his home in Dearborn Heights, a Detroit suburb with a large Muslim population, to Temple Israel.

Aerial view of smoke rising from the Temple Israel Synagogue after an active shooting incident. — Smoke rises from the building after the attack at Temple Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan. via REUTERS

A collage of three photos from a New York Post newspaper front page, with the headlines "WHY WAS HE ALLOWED IN THE U.S.?" and "TERRORISTS WELCOME". The images include a close-up of Ayman Ghazali, an aerial view of a building with smoke, and a smaller photo of Ghazali with a child. — Ayman Muhammad Ghazali, 41, was shot dead after driving a vehicle into the temple on Thursday.

Upon reaching the synagogue, Ghazali’s vehicle, which contained fireworks and gasoline containers, crashed into the building. He exchanged gunfire with an armed security guard before taking his own life inside the burning car. Thanks to the swift response of Temple Israel’s security team, none of the approximately 140 children, teachers, and staff inside the building were harmed.

US Senator Elissa Slotkin praised the security team’s actions, emphasizing that their prompt response prevented a potential tragedy. Meanwhile, in Dearborn Heights, a local mosque held a memorial service for Ghazali’s relatives over the weekend. Imam Hassan Qazwini, the mosque’s leader, stated that he had only met Ayman Ghazali once and condemned the attack on the synagogue.

“Islam does not allow punishing innocent people for the actions of others,” Qazwini said, adding that attacks on civilians cannot be justified by the strikes in Lebanon or Iran.

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