A Senior Commander of the Fatah Group Killed in Israeli Drone Strike in Lebanon

Khalil Al-Maqdah, a commander of the 'Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades,' the military wing of the Fatah group, who played a pivotal role in the group's armed actions in the West Bank, was killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon. The Fatah group confirmed his death on Wednesday, August 31, and the Israeli army stated that he, along with his brother, Munir Al-Maqdah, was involved in 'direct attacks and arms smuggling' to the West Bank and collaborated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran. According to a statement from the 'Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades,' Khalil Al-Maqdah was killed while 'fulfilling his national duty.' The statement added that Al-Maqdah played a central role in 'supporting the Palestinian people and their resistance' by 'strengthening resistance cells' in the West Bank. The Israeli army announced on Wednesday that it targeted the vehicle carrying Khalil Al-Maqdah in the Al-Filaat area of Sidon, located in southern Lebanon. Khalil Al-Maqdah is the brother of Munir Al-Maqdah, the commander of the 'Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades,' which is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. Israel accuses Khalil Al-Maqdah of smuggling weapons to the West Bank. Captain Ella, one of the Arabic-speaking spokespersons for the Israeli army, wrote on her social media account on X (formerly Twitter): 'In coordination with the Shabak (General Security Service) and the army's intelligence agency, an Israeli Air Force drone targeted the terrorist Khalil Hussein Khalil Al-Maqdah in an operation in the Sidon area of southern Lebanon.' She added: 'Khalil, the brother of Munir Al-Maqdah, is a Lebanese citizen. Both have collaborated with Hezbollah and the IRGC and are planning attacks.' She continued: 'Both brothers, who work for the IRGC, are involved in financing and arming the infrastructure of terrorism in Judea and Samaria (West Bank).' Munir Al-Maqdah, in a statement released after his brother Khalil's death in the Israeli drone strike, announced his death and added: 'Khalil was a leader of the Fatah movement; he was responsible for supplying weapons to the resistance in Palestine.' Munir Al-Maqdah also vowed revenge against Israel. According to Munir Al-Maqdah, his brother Khalil was 'one of the military figures of Fatah and one of the most prominent commanders of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades since the 1960s.' He continued that Khalil 'was responsible for the logistics of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in the West Bank.' Munir Al-Maqdah has a prominent presence in the Ain al-Hilweh camp located in Sidon, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. He has previously spoken publicly about his support for the fighters of the 'Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades' in the West Bank. Earlier, Israel had reported the arrest of members of a team linked to Al-Maqdah who had infiltrated from Lebanon into Israel. In a statement released by the Israeli army regarding this matter, Munir Al-Maqdah was highlighted for his collaboration with Hezbollah and the IRGC. The killing of Khalil Al-Maqdah marks the first Israeli operation targeting one of the commanders of the Fatah group and the 'Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in Lebanon. Recent Israeli operations have targeted commanders of the extremist group Hamas and affiliated Islamist groups in Lebanon. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.