A Palestinian security official in Beirut claimed in an interview with the Kuwaiti Al-Naba news organization that the assassination of Khalil al-Maqdah, an operative with the Iranian Quds Force, is not just a security measure, but a clear message from Israel about its willingness to act against any entity it views as a threat to its national security, even if it involves parties outside Israel's borders.
He told the newspaper that "this crosses all red lines, and this message reveals several dimensions of Israeli thinking. The first is that Israel does not see the Palestinian camps in Lebanon as outside the scope of its military actions.
The second is that the increased pressure on the Palestinian forces in Lebanon aims to destabilize the camps and sow discord among the various factions. The situation poses a threat not only to the Palestinian refugees but also to the overall security stability in Lebanon."
'Region could be led to an all-out war'
The official noted that "one cannot ignore the regional and international dimensions of such a military development. Israel's focus on the Palestinian camps in Lebanon could lead the region to an all-out war, as the Palestinian factions, including Hezbollah, will not stand idly by in the face of this expansion."
Khalil is the brother of Munir al-Maqdah, a Lebanese resident working for Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and continues to attempt to promote attacks at present. The two operate jointly under the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, involved in directing attacks and transferring funds and weapons to terror infrastructures in the West Bank.
In March 2024, weapons smuggled into the West Bank were exposed and transferred to cells recruited and guided by Khalil and Munir al-Maqdah's terror infrastructure in Lebanon.
Tal Beeri, head of the research department at the Alma Research Institute, described how al-Maqdah's military force operates.
"Al-Maqdah has his own military force and effectively controls the central refugee camp through his operatives and their families, with significant influence over what happens in Ein al-Hilweh," he said.
"Any change that distances him from the camp leadership will lead to the failure of the Fatah movement, and most operatives not affiliated with al-Maqdah are on the fringes of the camp with limited influence."
He further explained that "the connection between the Iranians and Hezbollah with him is a natural fit given his status among the Palestinians in Lebanon and his connections in the West Bank."