Alerts

Hamas Is Preparing to Attack Israel from Southern Lebanon

Lebanon is vulnerable to mega-explosions from terrorist organizations on its soil
Share this
The explosion of a Hamas arms warehouse in Tyre, Lebanon.
The explosion of a Hamas arms warehouse in Tyre, Lebanon.1 (Screenshot, Deutsche Welle, YouTube)

Table of Contents

  • The explosion in a Hamas depot of weapons and ammunition in Tyre exposed parts of the military infrastructure established by the Hamas organization in Lebanon with Hizbullah’s approval and the blind eye of the Lebanese government.
  • Hamas’ Deputy Commander Saleh al-Arouri and the Hamas branch in Turkey are responsible for the establishment of the infrastructure to build military capabilities in Lebanon in order to attack Israel on the northern front, as well as from Gaza in the south.

On December 10, 2021, while the Hamas movement was holding huge celebrations in the Gaza Strip to mark the 34th anniversary of its founding, a large explosion erupted in the movement’s weapons and ammunition depot under the Hamas-affiliated Obei al-Kaab Mosque in the Burj al-Shamali refugee camp in the city of Tyre, Lebanon.

Following the explosion, there were conflicting reports of casualties. Lebanese sources reported 12 injuries, but the director-general of al-Shifa, the Medical Association for Humanitarian Services, told Lebanese media that there were no fatalities or injuries as a result of the explosion. He and Hamas officials claimed the blast was caused by an explosion of oxygen tanks use to fight the coronavirus. Local residents did not believe them.

Eventually, Hamas published an obituary notice for a Hamas “martyr,” Hamza Shaheen, who died in the explosion. During his funeral, a gun battle broke out in the Burj Shamali refugee camp, killing four. Hamas alleged that the shootout was instigated by the rival Palestinian organization, Fatah.

Shaheen’s obituary notice from Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades in Lebanon
Shaheen’s obituary notice from Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades in Lebanon; according to his family, Shaheen was an engineer. (Joe Truzman,2 Twitter)

The fire spread to homes near the mosque whose residents had been evacuated.

The Saudi channel Al-Arabiya reported that the detonated Hamas warehouse contained rockets and bombs stored in the mosque’s basement. It is a tried method by Hamas and Hizbullah for concealing materiel and hiding weapons and ammunition under mosques, schools, and hospitals to deter Israel from attacking these crowded civilian facilities, using them as human shields to protect their arsenals.

Hamas’ ammunition depot in the city of Tyre is part of the military infrastructure that the organization has built, in recent years, in southern Lebanon, as a lesson learned from the rounds of fighting in the Gaza Strip against Israel. This new Hamas infrastructure was already used during Operation Guardians of the Walls in May 2021, when their operatives fired several rockets at northern Israel.

According to security sources, Israel has monitored Hamas’ covert activities in southern Lebanon in recent years and even tried to attack it with clandestine Mossad activities. In January 2018, senior Hamas figure Muhammad Hamdan was standing next to his car in Sidon when it exploded. He suffered minor injuries. Lebanese security officials arrested several people alleged to be affiliated with the Mossad who carried out similar operations in Tunisia and Dubai.

Hamdan’s car after the bombing
Hamdan’s car after the bombing, (YouTube screenshot, January 2018)

According to Lebanese officials, Muhammad Hamdan was Hamas’ secret contact with Iran in the Sidon area and was preparing to build a Hamas infrastructure in southern Lebanon, in accordance with the instructions of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

Israeli security officials report that Hamas’ military infrastructure in Lebanon was established by Saleh al-Arouri, deputy chairman of Hamas’ political bureau, who also serves as head of Hamas’ military-terrorist wing in the West Bank and Hamas’ liaison to Hizbullah.

Saleh Al-Arouri with Ali Shamkhani
Al-Arouri (left) meeting in Iran with Admiral Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran. (ISNA)

IDF Major-General (res) Eitan Dangut, the former Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, recently called on the Israeli security establishment to eliminate Saleh al-Arouri because of the danger he poses to Israel.

Hamas’ military infrastructure in Lebanon includes several hundred Palestinian operatives in the Palestinian refugee camps and was established with the approval of Hizbullah and Iran and with the blind eye of the Lebanese government.

Hamas’ military working theory is that Israel should be militarily engaged on two simultaneous fronts, in the event of a war on the Gaza Strip border. This would prevent Hizbullah from being held responsible for attacking Israel from southern Lebanon.

Hizbullah does not currently seek a military confrontation with Israel and fears that Israel would destroy Lebanon’s entire civilian infrastructure and “return it to the Stone Age,” as senior Israeli officials have warned. The Israeli security establishment assesses that at the moment, the goal of Hamas’ military infrastructure in Lebanon, is mainly to harass Israel by firing rockets in a measured manner that would not lead to war in southern Lebanon.

Deputy Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri and Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut in 2017.
(Hizbullah press office)

The rocket fire from southern Lebanon towards Israel is carried out in coordination between Saleh al-Arouri and Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip. During the May 2021 Gaza fighting, a joint military operations post was established in Beirut with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Hizbullah, and Hamas, according to reports of the editor-in-chief of the Lebanese Daily Al-Akhbar.3

According to Israeli security sources, Iran is instructing Hamas operatives in southern Lebanon how to manufacture rockets and drones. Hamas’ manufacturing system in Lebanon is part of the organization’s “construction department” and includes several workshops under the command of Majed Khader, who was based in Turkey and was transferred to Lebanon last year.4 Hamas’ new military-terrorist wing in Lebanon operates under civilian cover and has several units: a unit responsible for recruiting operatives into the organization’s ranks, one for manufacturing weapons and purchasing rockets, and a unit for training fighters and manufacturing weapons. Workshops and rockets are hidden in civilian buildings in Lebanon, including in residential buildings and businesses.

Israel must expose Hamas’ covert military activity in Lebanon and hold the Lebanese government responsible for any hostile action against Israel. The establishment of a new Hamas military wing in Lebanon in preparation for its operation against Israel symbolizes the strengthening of Hamas, which, because of its military capabilities, has become an important regional force that could destabilize the regional stability of several Arab countries. It is essential that Israel strikes the organization with a strong military surprise in the Gaza Strip to destroy its military capabilities. The organization is growing to the dimensions of a military monster that threatens Israel not only from the Gaza Strip. Until then, Israel should neutralize the leaders of the organization’s military wing who are leading this dangerous trend, led by Saleh al-Arouri.

* * *

Notes

1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aTl0vlL8mI

2 https://twitter.com/JoeTruzman/status/1469838719578361856

3 https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/05/30/report-hamas-coordinated-gaza-war-with-iran-hezbollah-in-joint-military-room/

4 https://www.khalas-hamas.info/regions-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84/transferred-to-lebanon-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86

Yoni Ben Menachem

Yoni Ben Menachem, a veteran Arab affairs and diplomatic commentator for Israel Radio and Television, is a senior Middle East analyst for the Jerusalem Center. He served as Director General and Chief Editor of the Israel Broadcasting Authority.
Share this

Subscribe to Daily Alert

The Daily Alert – Israel news digest appears every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

Related Items

Stay Informed, Always

Get the latest news, insights, and updates directly in your inbox—be the first to know!

Subscribe to Jerusalem Issue Briefs
The Daily Alert – Israel news digest appears every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.







Notifications

The Jerusalem Center
What makes a child believe killing a #Jew is justified?

In PA textbooks, Jews are called liars and frauds; their fate: elimination. This is #indoctrination—not #education. But change is happening. On East to West, @IMPACT_SE CEO Marcus Sheff exposes how #UNRWA-funded schools are fueling extremism—and what real reform looks like.  Listen now on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/2JHqh973U  Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/8OkJTGNfVUc

11:43am
The Jerusalem Center
Highlights from the @Jerusalem_Post Annual Conference in NYC:

Dr. @Dan_Diker, President of the JCFA: “October 7 wasn’t just an attack on Israel — it was a blow to the U.S. on Israeli soil. It demands moral clarity and a united front between Israel and the U.S. to defeat jihadist terror.”

2:20pm
The Jerusalem Center
@XAVIAERD says it like it is

Well, @XAVIAERD says it like it is: If you’re part of “#Queers for #Palestine,” he’ll pay for your flight to #Gaza. Go see for yourself how they treat LGBTQ+ people over there. Don’t miss this bold take on the Israel-Hamas war and the woke right.

2:32pm
The Jerusalem Center
“This isn’t Israel vs. Hamas — it’s the frontline of the free world.”

“This isn’t Israel vs. Hamas — it’s the frontline of the free world.” On Our Middle East by @JNS_org, @Dan_Diker@KhaledAbuToameh (JCFA/@GatestoneInst) break it down: If Hamas isn’t crushed, Iran wins. The jihadis—from #Gaza to your campus—get the green light. Diker: “This war is for the West.” No fluff. No filters. Just raw insight from two insiders who actually know what’s going on.  Watch: youtu.be/4Aq_zcbb4Yo

2:15pm
The Jerusalem Center
5/5 Lt. Col. Kalo on East to West with @smartinezamir:

“This operation showcases Israel’s strategic intelligence superiority both regionally and globally. It demonstrates the moral commitment to recovered soldiers and also strengthens Israel’s position with allies.” youtube.com/watch?v=nIvNNi

2:07pm
The Jerusalem Center
4/5 The operation built on intelligence gathered during the 2019 #Baumel recovery

#Mossad agents operated under cover in #Syria for years, visiting a graveyard multiple times under fire to collect remains for DNA matching. The intelligence community’s evolution combines technology, big data analysis, and human intelligence capabilities.

2:02pm
The Jerusalem Center
3/5 This recovery coincided with the release of Israeli hostage Edan Alexander

This recovery coincided with the release of Israeli hostage Edan Alexander from #Hamas in #Gaza, significantly boosting national morale amid an ongoing conflict now stretching over 18 months. The dual successes demonstrate #Israel‘s unwavering commitment to bringing all soldiers home.

1:58pm
The Jerusalem Center
2/5 The operation used the power vacuum following #Assad’s fall from #Damascus

Lt. Col. Avi Kalo, former head of IDF Prisoners & Missing Persons Division, calls it “an outstanding event that brings hope and new spirit to the people of Israel.” The operation utilized the power vacuum following #Assad‘s fall from #Damascus, allowing #Israeli intelligence to deploy ground capabilities in #Syria.

1:56pm
The Jerusalem Center
1/5 Israeli forces recovered the remains of Sergeant First Class Zvi Feldman

In an unprecedented operation, Israeli forces have recovered the remains of Sergeant First Class Zvi #Feldman, missing since the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yacoub. The complex #Mossad mission was conducted deep within #Syrian territory, 43 years after his disappearance. This follows the successful 2019 recovery of Zachary #Baumel from the same battle.

1:54pm
The Jerusalem Center
A molotov attack on a bus = a “barbecue party”?

That’s what #Palestinian kids are being taught under @UNRWA  — from grade school to graduation. This isn’t education. It’s indoctrination. Marcus Sheff of @IMPACT_SE  breaks it down with @smartinezamir

12:51pm

Close