By Alex Johnson | Sunday, March 15, 2026
Israeli military officials revealed on Sunday that Ayman Mohamad Ghazali’s brother was a Hezbollah commander killed in an Israeli airstrike several days prior to the attack. The disclosure follows ongoing U.S. investigations into the incident as a targeted act of violence against Jewish communities.
Ayman Ghazali, 41, drove a vehicle into Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township near Detroit on Thursday and later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after exchanging fire with security personnel.
The FBI has characterized the assault as a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.” Israeli military officials identified Ghazali’s brother as Ibrahim Ghazali, describing him as a Hezbollah commander responsible for supplying weapons to units that have targeted Israel.
Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee stated that Ibrahim Ghazali was killed on March 5 in an airstrike targeting a Hezbollah military facility. A local official from Mashgharah, Lebanon, reported that the same Israeli strike also killed Ghazali’s two brothers, a niece, and a nephew, and seriously injured his mother.
Federal authorities have indicated that Ayman Ghazali, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Lebanon, had been flagged in government databases for connections with suspected Hezbollah members but was not considered a member himself.
The attack occurred at Temple Israel, which was being used by children, teachers, and staff during early morning hours when the vehicle struck the building’s childcare center. A security officer was injured in the incident, dozens of first responders required treatment for smoke inhalation, but over 100 children inside were unharmed.
According to officials, there were 140 people present at the facility; one security officer was hit by the vehicle and knocked unconscious without life-threatening injuries. Authorities recovered commercial-grade fireworks and jugs containing suspected gasoline in the vehicle.
Investigators have not yet established a motive for the attack. Federal authorities are continuing their examination of Ghazali’s background, the materials seized from his vehicle, and whether any evidence links this incident to allegations made by Israeli officials.
