Israel Claims Killing Islamic Jihad Operative Who Recruited for Hezbollah

The Israeli military reported that it killed a key Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative in an airstrike near the Syria-Lebanon border, while a conflict monitor reported that four people were killed in the attack.

The Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, confirmed that three of its fighters based in Syria were killed, while Lebanon’s Hezbollah stated that one of its fighters died, though it did not specify the location.

According to the Israeli military, the strike targeted a significant figure in Islamic Jihad’s operations division, who was instrumental in developing the group’s activities in Syria and Lebanon. The operative also played a crucial role in recruiting Palestinians for Hezbollah, a group allied with Hamas. The statement added that additional Islamic Jihad members who were en route to carry out attacks in Lebanon for Hezbollah were also killed.

Since the start of Syria’s civil war in 2011, Israel has conducted numerous strikes in Syria, mainly against Iranian-backed forces, including Hezbollah. Israel has made it clear that it will not tolerate an increased Iranian presence in the region.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitor, confirmed that four people died in the strike, which occurred near a Syrian government checkpoint on the Damascus-Beirut road as they were heading toward Lebanon. Syrian state media has yet to report on the incident.

The Israeli military also noted that Hezbollah has been actively recruiting Palestinian operatives to carry out attacks against Israel from Lebanon. There have been several strikes in the Syria-Lebanon border area, attributed to Israel, since the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, which triggered the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

A Lebanese security source mentioned that an Israeli airstrike overnight hit a truck carrying Hezbollah missiles in eastern Lebanon near the Syrian border, though Israel did not officially claim responsibility for this strike. Hezbollah, which has a strong presence in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and the south, has been launching near-daily attacks on Israeli positions in support of Hamas since October.