Israel: Army kills senior Hamas official in Syria

The Israeli army says it has killed a senior Hamas representative in Syria. Hassan Akasha was “eliminated” in Beit Jinn, the army said on Monday. The area is under Syrian government control and lies in the border triangle between Israel, Syria and Lebanon. Akasha is “a central figure” who was responsible for Hamas’s rocket fire on Israel from Syrian territory in recent weeks. There was initially no reaction from the Islamist Hamas.

Since the beginning of the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Palestinian organization, Akasha has led their “terrorist cells” that “fired rockets from Syria into Israeli territory,” the army statement said. However, Israel will “not allow terrorism from Syrian territory and will hold Syria responsible for all activities emanating from its territory.”

Hizballoah commander killed in Lebanon

Shortly before, a high-ranking commander of the pro-Iranian Shiite militia Hezbollah was killed in Lebanon. Lebanese security circles said on Monday that the man was responsible for Hezbollah military operations in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah reported the death of commander Wissam Hassan Tawil.

According to Lebanese security sources, Tawil was killed in an attack on his car in a village near the border with Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz now says that Israel deliberately killed him, even though Israel did not officially claim responsibility for the attack.

Fear of conflagration in the Middle East

Since the war in Gaza began three months ago, attacks on Israel have also increased from southern Lebanon and Syria. Most of the time, the pro-Iranian Hezbollah claimed responsibility. The Israeli army is responding to the attacks with increased air strikes in Lebanon and Syria.

So far the fighting has been limited to the border areas. Since the killing of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Aruri in a suburb of Beirut last Tuesday, there has been growing international concern that the war could spread to neighboring countries. Hezbollah leader Nasrallah threatened retaliation for al Aruri’s death on Friday. Hezbollah is allied with Hamas, which carried out a brutal major attack on Israel on October 7th.

In general, Israeli representatives rarely comment on individual attacks in Syria. However, the Israeli government repeatedly emphasizes that it will not allow its arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence in Syria, especially through militias or armed groups such as Hezbollah or Hamas. Tehran is allied with Syrian ruler Bashar al Assad.