The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Monday that it had killed a senior Hamas official in southern Lebanon in a drone strike.
The assault targeted Muhammad Shaheen, the head of the terrorist group’s military operations in the region, who was reportedly planning attacks against Jewish people in Europe, according to the New York Post.
The Israeli military said the drone strike killed Mohammad Shaheen, the head of Hamas’ operations department in Lebanon. The army accused Shaheen of “recently planning terror attacks, directed and funded by Iran, from Lebanese territory against the citizens of the state of Israel.”
Hamas confirmed Shaheen’s death but described him as a military commander.
Video footage circulating on social media appears to show the aftermath of the attack. A vehicle in flames can be seen in the video as bystanders look on.
⚠️ WARNING - Graphic Video ⚠️
— Kosher🎗🧡 (@koshercockney) February 17, 2025
Senior Hamas commander in Lebanon Muhammad Shaheen just got Toasted by the Israeli Air Force. pic.twitter.com/7m5fJG2j3F
An IDF aistrike eliminated senior Hamas terrorist Muhammad Shaheen. He was killed in the coastal city of Sidon in southern Lebanon on Monday. Sources say he was actively planning attacks against Jews in Europe. pic.twitter.com/NNm5ypyNvr
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 17, 2025
Lebanon’s government has allowed Israeli forces to remain in five strategic locations near its southern border after the two parties hammered out a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist organization.
Hamas has been greatly weakened after Israeli forces invaded the Gaza Strip in response to the terrorist group’s surprise attack that killed over 1,000 Israelis on October 7, 2023. The IDF has killed several high-profile Hamas leaders in Gaza and other countries.
President Donald Trump recently announced plans for the United States to take over the Gaza Strip after the Hamas threat is completely neutralized. The administration seeks to relocate Palestinian civilians living in the area to other countries, such as Jordan and Egypt. Both governments have rejected this idea, but Jordan King Abdullah II last week indicated he would be willing to accept 2,000 Palestinian children into the country.
Nevertheless, Trump continues to pressure both governments to take in many of the 2.14 million people living in Gaza. He has suggested that he might cut aid to both countries if they fail to comply with his plan.
A senior Hamas official declared on Saturday that the terrorist group would not disarm and plans to regrow its ranks after the war is concluded, CNN reported.
“Whoever comes to fill Israel’s place (in Gaza) will be treated like Israel,” Osama Hamdan, a Hamas spokesperson and political bureau member, said on Saturday during a panel discussion at the Al Jazeera Forum in the Qatari capital Doha.
“Whoever wants to work as an agent for Israel will bear the consequences of being Israel’s agent,” he told the forum.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reacting to speculation about the plan for Gaza, on Monday reiterated his position that “on the day after the war in Gaza, there will be no Hamas and no Palestinian Authority,” adding that he was “committed to President (Donald) Trump’s plan to create a different Gaza.”
Hamdan further stated that the terrorist organization “was not erased” as a result of the war and that “we have an opportunity to expand.”