Hezbollah has fired multiple rockets at the occupied Golan Heights following Israeli airstrikes deep within Lebanon, raising concerns of an escalating conflict. The Israeli military reported targeting Hezbollah weapons storage sites in the Bekaa Valley overnight, with Lebanon’s health ministry confirming one death and 30 injuries as a result of the strikes.
In retaliation, Hezbollah, supported by Iran, claimed responsibility for launching a rocket barrage at Israeli military positions in the Golan Heights. Israeli officials reported that two homes were struck, resulting in one injury.
Simultaneously, the Palestinian Fatah movement accused Israel of assassinating a senior member of its armed wing in Lebanon, suggesting the move was intended to spark a wider regional conflict.
Later on Wednesday, an Israeli drone strike targeted and killed Khalil al-Makdah, a prominent Fatah member, as he drove a 4×4 vehicle through the Villas area of Sidon, according to the National News Agency (NNA). Fatah’s armed wing, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, whose Lebanese branch is led by his brother Mounir, confirmed his death and described him as “one of the leaders of the military council in the West Bank.”
Tawfiq Tirawy, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee based in Ramallah, condemned the assassination, stating that it was further evidence that Israel seeks to provoke a full-scale regional war. When asked about these remarks during a briefing, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer responded that the IDF had compiled a detailed list of Makdah’s alleged crimes.
In a joint statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) accused Khalil and Mounir al-Makdah of collaborating with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. They claimed the brothers were involved in orchestrating terror attacks and smuggling weapons and funds into the West Bank for terrorist activities. The statement emphasized that the IDF and ISA would continue to take measures to monitor and thwart any actions that threaten the security of Israel and its citizens, aiming to disrupt Iranian-backed terrorist efforts.