Israel Says It Killed Senior Hamas Financier in Lebanon; Katz Orders Bridges Over the Litani Destroyed

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

During a joint operation by the IDF and Israel's Shin Bet earlier this week in Lebanon, terrorist Walid Muhammad Dib, a senior figure in Hamas's finance network, was killed. According to a joint statement this morning (Sunday), the strike was directed by the Shin Bet and was intended to disrupt the group's funding pipeline that supported Hamas military activity in Lebanon and in additional arenas.

According to the details, Dib was responsible for transferring money to various Hamas departments, including in the West Bank, in Lebanon, and in other countries. He also worked to recruit operatives and direct terror activity from Syria and Lebanon. His elimination, the statement said, joins a series of strikes carried out since the start of Operation "Lion's Roar," aimed at the funding sources of the terror organizations.

The IDF Spokesperson also announced that during a focused operational activity, nine Hezbollah terrorists were killed after they tried to approach an area where IDF forces were operating.

The incident occurred yesterday, when soldiers from Collection Unit 869 spotted several armed terrorists moving toward the operational sector. The IDF said: "In a rapid close-the-loop, the soldiers on the ground fired at them, and at the same time the Air Force, guided by the forces, struck and killed the terrorists".

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Israel Katz held a security assessment this morning in the Kirya bunker, with IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Home Front Command chief Shai Kalper, and other senior officials. At the end of the discussion, Katz announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and he had instructed the IDF to immediately destroy all bridges over the Litani River used for terror activity, in order to prevent the movement of Hezbollah operatives and weapons southward.

(Photo: Ministry of Defense Spokesperson's Office)

He said an instruction was also given to accelerate the demolition of homes in the contact villages of southern Lebanon, as part of an effort to thwart threats to Israel's northern communities, "in accordance with the operational model in Beit Hanoun and Rafah in Gaza". He also noted that the IDF continues its ground maneuver in Lebanon, with the goal of eliminating Hezbollah operatives and reaching the anti-tank line and key commanding positions in the area.

Katz added that Israel will continue to allow residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate northward, beyond the Litani River, out of the combat zone, and he emphasized the government's commitment to changing the security situation: "We promised to protect the residents of the north — and that is exactly what we will do".