Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
Israeli naval commandos conducted a raid in northern Lebanon on November 1, where they captured one man, according to Lebanese journalist Hasan Illaik.
More than 25 Israeli troops arrived on the coast of the town of Batroun, to the south of the port city of Tripoli, and raided a chalet on the beach, Illaik said in a post to the X social network, adding that a Lebanese man, who was alone, was taken from the area and the special forces left the area via speedboats.
The journalist speculated that the raid was carried out an elite Israeli military unit, either Israeli Navy’s Shayetet 13 or Sayeret Matkal which is a part of the country’s General Staff, noting that the German Navy operating off the coast of Lebanon as part of the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon was likely complicit.
Illaik shares surveillance camera footage purportedly from the raid. It shows troops taking a detained person with them. He said that Lebanese security officials are investigating the security incident.
حدث خطير وقع في منطقة البترون فجر أمس, تحقق فيه الأجهزة الأمنية اللبنانية (الجيش وقوى الأمن الداخلي). قوة خاصة قوامها أكثر من ٢٥ جندي (بحارة وغواصون)، نفّذت عملية إبرار (إنزال بحري) على شاطئ البترون، وانتقلت بكامل أسلحتها وعتادها إلى شاليه قريب من الشاطئ، حيث اختطفت شخصاً… pic.twitter.com/R6eGtITpzi
— Hasan illaik (@Hasanillaik) November 2, 2024
Following the release of the footage, Lebanon’s Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamie, confirmed that a Lebanese man was captured by Israeli naval commandos in northern Lebanon.
Hamie told the local Al Jadeed News TV that the man, who as identified as Imad Amhaz, was a captain of civilian ships and was studying at a civilian naval institute after some reports claimed he was in the Lebanese Navy.
The Saudi-owned Al-Hadath news channel reported that Amhaz was an official of Hezbollah. This was also reported by Axios.
The United States-based news site reported, citing an Israeli official, that Amhaz was a senior member of Hezbollah naval force. The unnamed official said that the man was taken to Israel to be questioned on the naval activities of the Iran-allied group.
The raid came amid a heated confrontation between Hezbollah and the Israeli military. The confrontation first broke out after the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, with the group launching attacks from Lebanon in support of the Palestinian enclave.
Israel escalated its attacks on Lebanon starting from September 17 and on September 30 it launched a ground operation against the group.
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