Israel Captures Senior Islamist Terror Leader Alive Inside Lebanon

The IDF confirmed Monday morning that a special forces unit carried out a nighttime ground operation deep inside southern Lebanon, capturing a senior terrorist operative from the al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya organization and transferring him into Israel for interrogation.

According to the IDF, the raid took place overnight in the Mount Dov area following intelligence indications gathered over recent weeks. The detainee was arrested alive and moved to Israeli territory for further questioning. Weapons were also located in the structure where he was captured.

The operation stands out as a rare Israeli ground incursion into Lebanon and a deliberate decision to capture, rather than assassinate, a high-value target. The detainee is described by the IDF as a senior figure in al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, a Sunni Islamist terror organization linked to the Muslim Brotherhood that is Palestinian-aligned and operates from Lebanon. Israeli officials say the group has remained active throughout the war, continuing to plan and advance terrorist attacks against Israel and its civilians in the northern arena.

Israeli military sources said the raid was conducted by a special IDF unit that entered Lebanese territory on foot and operated for several hours inside a village approximately 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) from the Israeli border. The operation began in the evening and concluded around 5:00 a.m., when the forces withdrew with the detainee. Reports indicate the target was seized inside his home, while in bed, after Israeli forces surprised the security arrangements surrounding him.

The IDF said weapons were found at the arrest site, reinforcing the assessment that the detainee played an operational role within the organization’s terror infrastructure.

Israeli defense officials explained that the decision to carry out a risky ground arrest, rather than a remote airstrike, was driven by the detainee’s intelligence value. The suspect is viewed as a significant intelligence asset whose interrogation is expected to provide critical insight into al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya’s ongoing activities and planning in Lebanon and Syria. Officials said the information could help disrupt future terror plots before they reach execution stages.

Lebanese media reported that the detainee is Atwi Atwi, identifying him as a senior figure within al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya. Israeli authorities have not publicly confirmed his identity, and the name has not been officially released by the IDF.

Shortly after Israel announced the operation, al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya confirmed that one of its senior members had been taken. In a statement, the organization said an Israeli force had “kidnapped” one of its leaders, held Israel responsible for his safety, and called on the Lebanese government to intervene to stop what it described as Israeli violations and to work toward the detainee’s release.