Senior Hamas Official Killed in Israeli Attack in Southern Lebanon

The Israeli army announced on Monday, February 18, that it had killed a Hamas leader in the Sidon area of southern Lebanon. The Israeli army identified the deceased as Mohammad Shaheen, head of Hamas operations in Lebanon, stating that he had recently been involved in advancing 'terrorist plots' that were directed and funded by the Islamic Republic from Lebanese territory against Israeli citizens. Reuters also reported, citing two Lebanese security sources, that Israel targeted a vehicle in the port city of Sidon, hitting one of the officials of the Palestinian militant group. Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Post reported that the drone strike on the vehicle carrying Mohammad Shaheen was the result of a joint operation by the Israeli army and Shin Bet (Israel's internal security agency). According to this report, the Israeli army emphasized that Mohammad Shaheen played a significant role in directing rocket attacks against Israel. During the Gaza war, the Israeli army carried out attacks against members of Hamas and the armed group Hezbollah in Lebanon, both supported by the Islamic Republic. These armed groups targeted northern Israel with rocket fire, drone attacks, and artillery strikes. The Israeli attack on Gaza followed a terrorist assault by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and over 250 individuals, including women, the elderly, and children, being taken hostage. Hamas, a group supported by the Islamic Republic, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, Japan, and several other countries. Alireza Nourizadeh's explanations regarding the current situation of Hamas in Gaza and the issue of hostages continue to fuel speculation about the fate of a ceasefire agreement coinciding with the release of three more hostages from Hamas captivity. Marco Rubio in Israel after the exchange of prisoners and hostages, two groups supported by the Islamic Republic prepared for the release of three Israeli hostages.