Israeli airstrike kills Palestinian commander in Saida, South Lebanon
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Martyr Khalil al-Maqdah held the rank of brigadier general in the Fatah movement and served in its military wing within the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
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A person attempting to extinguish fire coming out from a car targeted by an Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese city of Saida, on Wednesday, August 21, 2024. (Social media)
An Israeli airstrike targeted on Wednesday the city of Saida in southern Lebanon, killing Khalil al-Maqdah, a commander in the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of the Fatah movement, and the brother of General Mounir al-Maqdah, a Palestinian source told Al Mayadeen.
Earlier, Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in southern Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle in the Villas area of Saida, adding that the targeted person was a Palestinian figure.
In a statement, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Lebanon mourned al-Maqdah, who it said was martyred in a "cowardly assassination" while he was performing his combat duty as part of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
#بالفيديو | غارة إسرائيلية استهدفت سيارة في منطقة #الفيلات في مدينة #صيدا.#الميادين_لبنان #لبنان pic.twitter.com/JJXuwIcvM3
— الميادين لبنان (@mayadeenlebanon) August 21, 2024
The brigades praised the martyr's pivotal role in supporting the Palestinian people and their Resistance, as well as his significant contribution over many years in backing Resistance cells against the Israeli occupation in the occupied West Bank.
It also affirmed that its Resistance fighters "will remain steadfast on the path of revolution and resistance until liberation and return [to Palestine] are achieved."
Assassinations strengthen the Resistance
The leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Lebanon, Mounir al-Maqdah, confirmed to Al Mayadeen that the target of the Israeli airstrike was his brother, stressing that such assassinations only strengthen the Resistance.
He mentioned that martyr Commander Khalil al-Maqdah held the rank of Brigadier General in the Fatah movement and served in its military wing within the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
On his part, Lebanese MP Abdul Rahman al-Bizri told Al Mayadeen that such Israeli assaults would only deepen Saida's commitment to the Palestinian cause.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that one person was killed in an initial toll of the Israeli strike on the Villas area in Saida.
It is noteworthy that on August 9, "Israel" also assassinated Hamas security official Samer al-Hajj in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp by striking his vehicle in Saida.
Read more: Israeli attack on Lebanon's Bekaa kills one, wounds 5 children under 8
