TEL AVIV – Islamic militants acting on orders from the Iranian-backed Hezbollah were responsible for a spate of killings and attempted terrorist attacks in Israel in the past month, according to information provided to WND by informed Middle Eastern security officials.
Last Friday, the Palestinian Authority arrested members of two Fatah cells in the West Bank who admitted upon interrogation to being recruited by Hezbollah to carry out attacks against Israel, the security officials said.
The security officials said the cells were being directed by Qais Obeid, an Israeli Arab and a grandson of former Knesset member Diyab Obeid. Obeid defected to Lebanon and became a senior officer for Hezbollah.
The officials further said Hezbollah directed the cells to carry out attacks in the name of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Fatah.
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The attacks were also to be carried out in the name of the Abu Musa Brigade, a small group allied with Fatah based in Syria. The officials said in reality the Abu Musa Brigade is not known to have any serious existence in the West Bank.
Earlier this month, WND was first to report the Iranian-backed Hezbollah is financing cells of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the so-called military wing of PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah organization.
The security officials, meanwhile, said there is information the Hezbollah-financed militants were behind a spate of killings here in recent weeks.
The officials said the jihadists were behind the murder earlier this month of Israeli reservist Seraiah Ofer, who was bludgeoned to death at his home in Brosh Habika, in the northern Jordan Valley.
Israeli media reported Israel’s Shin Bet Security Service was investigating a possible criminal motive in thae attack.
The security officials said there is information the Hezbollah-backed cells also carried out the deadly shooting last month of Gal Gabriel Kobi, who was killed by a Palestinian sniper in the city of Hebron.
Kobi had been on reserve duty during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, or the Feast of the Tabernacles.
The security officials further said there is information the Hezbollah-financed militants carried out a drive-by shooting on Road 446 in the West Bank last week targeting an Israeli car. No one was injured in that attack.
The information comes after jihadists in Gaza yesterday fired two rockets into the southern Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon. One rocket was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome system while the other fell into the sea, a military spokeswoman said.
Israeli warplanes responded by raiding the northern Gaza Strip and bombing two concealed rocket launchers, the military said. There were no reports of casualties.