Hezbollah operative “significant source of knowledge”
Wearing Lebanese uniforms, some 20 Israeli commandos took part in Friday raid
Hezbollah-affiliated media says special forces were likely in area for reconnaissance before nabbing alleged terror operative, reiterates claim German Navy coordinated with Israel
According to the Al-Akhbar report: operatives from the Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit were disguised as Lebanese security forces during the unusual raid in Batroun, south of Tripoli, some 140 kilometers (87 miles) north of Israel’s maritime border with Lebanon.
While the Israeli military has attacked northern Lebanon via airstrikes, its ground forces have been operating only in the country’s south
Al-Akhbar report:
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"The late Friday raid lasted a mere four minutes and involved some 20 operatives, along with several unidentified civilians"
"some Israeli special forces had likely been in the area for reconnaissance and surveillance before the operation"
The report also said,
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Lebanese investigators believe a young man riding a bicycle seen in the widely circulated footage of the operation was part of the Israeli commando unit -- No one rides bicycles! in Lebanon
The Hezbollah-affiliated outlet cast doubt on the Israel Defense Forces’ assertion that Amhaz is a “significant source of knowledge” in the terror group’s naval force
Al-Akhbar report on Sunday also reiterated earlier accusations in Lebanese media that the German Navy operating within UN peacekeeping forces in the area had assisted with the Israeli raid
UNIFIL the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon, denied involvement in the operation, with an unnamed deputy spokesperson telling the Saudi channel Asharq News on Saturday
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the organization “has no involvement in facilitating any kidnapping or any other violation of Lebanese sovereignty”
After warning for nearly a year that Israel would not tolerate the ongoing Hezbollah attacks, Israel launched a major operation against Hezbollah in September 2024 eliminating much of its leadership and crippling some of its fighting capabilities
In October 2024 Israel launched a ground offensive in Lebanon’s south to clear the border area of terror infrastructure, Israel said was to be used, in an October 7, 2023 style attack on Israeli northern communities
