Israel eliminates top Hamas commander in Lebanon

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The Israeli Air Force on Monday eliminated the head of Hamas’s Operations Department in Lebanon near Sidon, according to a joint Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) statement.

“Muhammad Shaheen was eliminated after recently planning terror attacks, directed and funded by Iran, from Lebanese territory against the citizens of the State of Israel,” according to the statement.

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Shaheen “was a significant source of knowledge within the terrorist organization and was responsible throughout the war for various terror attacks, and rocket launchers aimed at Israeli civilians,” it continued.

According to Israel’s Ynet outlet, which cited government sources, Shahin was planning to attack Jewish targets outside of Israel.

Shahin’s identity was confirmed via DNA testing, a Lebanese security source told Al Jazeera.

The strike comes a day before the Feb. 18 deadline for Israeli forces to withdraw from Lebanon under the terms of the November ceasefire that ended over a year of war between the Jewish state and Lebanon’s Hezbollah terrorist organization.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem warned Israel on Sunday that if it does not withdraw its forces by Feb. 18, “we will know how to deal with it.”

“Israel must fully withdraw on Feb. 18, it has no excuse,” the Hezbollah chief said in a televised address cited by France 24.

Under the Nov. 27 Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces are to gradually withdraw from Southern Lebanon as the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) assume responsibility for ensuring Hezbollah remains disarmed south of the Litani River.

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The agreement originally mandated an Israeli withdrawal within 60 days, but was extended until Feb. 18, according to a White House statement on Jan. 26.

The extension was requested by Israel due to the slow progress of the LAF in deploying to Southern Lebanon.

The IDF has conducted frequent border operations to prevent Hezbollah from regaining strength, including intelligence gathering, reconnaissance and clearing terrain to disrupt terrorist movements.

The Israeli Air Force on Sunday evening carried out strikes on several Hezbollah sites in Lebanon housing rocket launchers and weapons, according to the military.

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