Later on Wednesday, an Israeli drone strike killed Fatah’s Khalil al-Makdah as he drove a 4×4 vehicle through Sidon’s Villas area, according to NNA.
Fatah’s armed wing, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades – whose Lebanese branch is headed by his brother, Mounir – later confirmed his death and described him as “one of the leaders of the military council in the West Bank”.
Tawfiq Tirawy, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee based in Ramallah, told AFP news agency that the “assassination of a Fatah official is further proof that Israel wants to ignite a full-scale war in the region”.
When asked about the comments at a briefing, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said the IDF had “produced a comprehensive list of [Makdah’s] crimes”.
A joint statement from the IDF and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) alleged that Khalil and Mounir al-Makdah collaborated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and were “involved in the direction of terror attacks as well as the smuggling of weapons and funds designated for terrorist activities” into the West Bank.
“The IDF and ISA will constantly continue to take action to monitor and thwart activity that endangers the safety of the State of Israel and its citizens, in order to expose and impair Iranian attempts to carry out terrorist activity,” they added.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
