Latest Developments
The Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah continued to expand its attacks against targets in northern Israel on August 21, firing a barrage of more than 50 rockets at the city of Katzrin in the Golan Heights. The attack caused fires and heavy damage to homes in the city — which has not been evacuated, in contrast to several other communities in northern Israel — as well as moderate shrapnel injuries to a man in his 30s whose house was directly struck by a rocket, The Times of Israel reported. “Once again, Hezbollah is firing indiscriminately at Israeli civilians. Like any country that protects its citizens — we will act accordingly,” Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.
A separate Israeli strike near the southern Lebanese city of Sidon on the same day eliminated Khalil al-Maqdah, a commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade linked to Fatah, the dominant faction within the Palestine Liberation Organization. “Al-Maqdah was reportedly a brigadier general in the military wing of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades,” The Jerusalem Post reported. In March, al-Maqdah’s brother Munir, who resides in the Ain-al Hilweh refugee camp in Lebanon, was at the center of an Iranian-orchestrated plot to smuggle weapons into the West Bank that was thwarted by Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency and the IDF.
Expert Analysis
“Hezbollah’s rocket barrage targeting Katzin is the latest example of how the Iranian-backed terrorist group is seeking to expand its attacks and spread terror across northern Israel. Hezbollah is increasingly targeting Israeli towns and communities in northern Israel, deliberately expanding and increasing its attacks and provoking a larger Israeli response.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow
“A concerning trend has emerged as Hezbollah is increasing the scope of their fire against northern Israel while the IDF responds to eliminate the threat of these attacks. In parallel, Israel is capitalizing on the ongoing war in the north and south to launch a counter-terrorism campaign aimed at individuals orchestrating terrorist attacks in the West Bank from abroad. Strikes against Hamas operatives in Gaza responsible for West Bank terrorism, as well as the elimination of al-Maqdah in Lebanon, clearly illustrate the breadth of this campaign.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal
‘Center of Gravity’ Shifting From South to North: Gallant
The attack on Katzrin came as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant observed that the IDF’s attention is shifting from Gaza in the south to the Lebanese front in the north. “The center of gravity is gradually moving from the south to the north, the attacks deep in Lebanon — preparation for anything that could develop,” Gallant said during remarks to the IDF’s 36th Division on August 20. In a statement to the pro-Iran news outlet Al-Mayadeen, Hezbollah claimed that its attack on Katzrin was part of a broader offensive against IDF sites in northern Israel.
Hezbollah’s escalation in recent days resulted in the death of an IDF soldier in an August 19 drone strike, while on August 16, the group unveiled a large underground terror complex that includes a missile launch site. The IDF destroyed a large Hezbollah weapons depot during an airstrike in eastern Bekaa Valley in Lebanon on August 19. The IDF also carried out strikes on Dier Qanoun and Tayibe, killing Hussein Ali Hussein Suleiman, a senior member of Hezbollah’s Rocket and Missile Unit, as well as a group of Hezbollah terrorists operating from one of the organization’s facilities.
“IDF Destroys Hezbollah Weapons Storage, Drawing Rocket and Drone Barrage in Response,” FDD Flash Brief
“Hezbollah Unveils Vast Underground Missile Complex,” FDD Flash Brief
“IDF Officer Killed in Hezbollah Drone Attack on Northern Israel,” FDD Flash Brief
Subscribe to FDD Flash Briefs