Israeli forces launched an airstrike in the Beqaa area, resulting in the deaths of two members of a Lebanese militant group known for firing rockets into Israel.
According to Reuters, Israel’s military confirmed the strike on Friday, stating that they targeted and eliminated Mosab Khalaf in the Meidoun area of Lebanon.
Khalaf was identified as a member of the Jama’a Islamiya group and had been involved in attacks against Israel.
In response, the Jama’a Islamiya confirmed in a statement that two of its field commanders, including Khalaf and a relative, were killed in the strike.
A security source in Lebanon revealed that Khalaf was a local official in the group’s armed wing, known as the Fajr forces, which has previously launched rockets at Israel.
This marks the first time Israel has acknowledged targeting a member of the Jama’a Islamiya in Lebanon, although more than a dozen members of the group have been killed in previous strikes in Lebanon. Additionally, Israeli strikes have targeted members of the Palestinian faction Hamas in Lebanon.
The situation in the region remains tense, with ongoing conflicts between Israel and militant groups in Lebanon.
Hezbollah, in particular, has been engaged in exchanges of fire with Israel across Lebanon’s southern border. Security sources in Lebanon reported that two Hezbollah fighters were killed in an Israeli strike on Friday.
Since October, more than 250 Hezbollah members and over 70 civilians have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon. In Israel, around a dozen troops and a similar number of civilians have been killed by missile fire from Lebanon.
