Mikati Demands UN Action on Batroun Abduction

Israeli naval commandos detained a trainee mariner, identified by an Israeli military official as a “senior operative” of Hezbollah, during a raid in Lebanon, bringing him to Israel for questioning.

In response, Lebanon’s Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati instructed the foreign ministry to file a complaint with the U.N. Security Council over the raid in Batroun, a coastal town south of Tripoli. Both the Lebanese Army and U.N. peacekeeping force UNIFIL have launched investigations into the incident, with Mikati urging prompt findings.

The operation, initially reported by Lebanese sources and later confirmed by an Israeli military official, marks the first such raid since the onset of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in September. According to the Israeli military, the detained individual, described as a Hezbollah expert, is now undergoing investigation in Israel.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that an “unidentified military force” conducted a pre-dawn “sea landing” on Friday in Batroun, advancing with full equipment to a chalet near the beach where they captured a Lebanese man before leaving by speedboat.

A person familiar with the detainee identified him as a student at the Maritime Sciences and Technology Institute (MARSATI), Lebanon’s leading training college for maritime professions. Though residing in Batroun for his studies, he is originally from the Shiite-majority town of Qmatiyeh. According to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, the man is in his 30s and well-regarded by the institute’s staff.

The Christian-majority town of Batroun has remained largely unaffected by the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, which has heavily impacted south Lebanon, Beirut’s southern suburbs, and the Bekaa Valley. Since hostilities began on September 23, over 1,900 people have died in Lebanon, as recorded by Lebanon’s health ministry, though the actual number is expected to be higher. Israel has reported 38 military casualties in Lebanon since ground operations commenced on September 30.