Israeli Military Reports Capture of Hezbollah Operative in Naval Operation

The Israeli military announced on Friday that a senior Hezbollah operative had been apprehended during a naval raid conducted in Batroun, a town located in northern Lebanon. According to an official statement, special forces carried out the capture and transported the individual to Israeli territory, characterizing the event as a “special operation.” In contrast, Lebanon’s state news agency reported that an “unidentified military force” landed on the beach at dawn, proceeded to raid a nearby structure, and seized one individual before departing via speedboat. This raid has provoked strong condemnation from Lebanese authorities. The office of Prime Minister Najib Mikati stated that he had directed the foreign ministry to lodge a formal complaint with the UN Security Council. Furthermore, it was noted that both the Lebanese army and the UN peacekeeping force Unifil were conducting investigations into the incident, and Prime Minister Mikati had urged for “expedited” outcomes. Ali Hamieh, the Lebanese transport minister, indicated that the raid might constitute a breach of UN Security Council resolution 1701, a measure designed to conclude hostilities subsequent to the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Local media quoted him as stating, “If it is proven that the kidnapping took place via a naval landing, where is the implementation of Resolution 1701?” Hezbollah refrained from commenting on Israel’s assertion that the individual apprehended was affiliated with the group. Conversely, Minister Hamieh informed local media that the man was a captain of civilian vessels. Online CCTV footage, which the BBC identified as being from Batroun, seemingly depicted a contingent of soldiers escorting a captive through a series of buildings. The Israeli military provided scant information regarding the operation, but confirmed that Shayetet 13, a marine commando unit proficient in sea-to-land incursions, was the unit involved. Batroun, a Christian town situated north of Beirut, has largely remained unaffected by Israeli military operations in Lebanon thus far, with these operations typically concentrating on the country’s southern region, the Bekaa valley in the east, and Beirut’s southern suburbs. Since Israel initiated a ground invasion of Lebanon on September 30, over 2,200 individuals have died in the country. The Israeli military reports that 38 of its soldiers have been killed in Lebanon over the same period. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.