Israeli Military Operation in Lebanon; Khalil Al-Maqdah, a Commander of the Military Wing of 'Fatah', Killed

The Israeli army announced on Wednesday, August 31, that it targeted "Khalil Al-Maqdah, a terrorist who collaborated with Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps" in the Sidon area of Lebanon. According to the Israeli army, an Israeli Air Force fighter jet targeted Khalil Al-Maqdah, a senior leader of the military wing of the Palestinian organization 'Fatah', who was attempting to carry out a terrorist operation. The Jerusalem Post reported that Khalil Al-Maqdah, along with his brother, Munir Al-Maqdah, played a role in "guiding terrorist attacks and transferring funds and weapons for the terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank" in collaboration with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Israeli army stated that weapons discovered in the West Bank last April were "smuggled by these two brothers for use by terrorist groups." The Israeli army also identified Javad Jafari, head of the special operations unit of the IRGC Intelligence, Unit 4000, and Asghar Bakri, commander of Unit 840, the special operations unit of the Quds Force of the IRGC, as "key figures directing arms smuggling and planning terrorist attacks." Hezbollah, a group supported by the Islamic Republic and allied with the Hamas militia, has been engaged almost daily with Israeli forces in border areas since the onset of the Gaza war last October. Tensions have escalated in recent weeks due to the killing of Fouad Shukri, a senior Hezbollah commander by Israel, raising concerns about further escalation of hostilities. On Tuesday, August 30, the Israeli army stated that approximately 115 projectiles were fired from Lebanon towards Israel, and several "suspicious aerial targets" entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon, some of which were intercepted and shot down by Israeli air defense. Although no casualties were reported in Israel, these incidents caused fires in some areas. The Israeli army also announced that its air force targeted rocket launchers and several military structures of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon resulted in three deaths; Hezbollah's response included rocket and drone fire. The U.S. Secretary of State in Cairo, Blinken emphasized the importance of preventing escalation of regional tensions. Israel pointed fingers at the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah, suggesting a possible connection to the Tel Aviv bombing. Airstrikes targeted Hezbollah's weapons depots in northeastern Lebanon; the Israeli army confirmed this.