Senior Hamas official Muhammad Shaheen was killed in a drone strike on a vehicle near Sidon on Monday.
The strike in southern Lebanon was carried out in a joint IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) operation and guided by the Intelligence Directorate and Northern Command intelligence information.
Shaheen was Hamas’s head of operations in Lebanon. In his role, he tried to plan terror operations against Israeli citizens, whether within Israeli territory or during international travels.
Funding from Iran
The IDF said Shaheen was deeply involved in directing rocket attacks against Israel and that he received funding directly from Iran to carry out these operations.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad condemned the killing of Shaheen, calling it a “treacherous and cowardly assassination.”
“The killing reflects the aggressive and criminal nature of the leaders of the occupying entity and marks a dangerous escalation aimed at sowing confusion,” it said.
“We affirm that the martyrdom of the leaders of the resistance in Lebanon and Palestine will only increase the cohesion, steadfastness, and adherence of the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples to resist the occupation and thwart all its criminal goals.”