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Asharq Al-Awsat Details Israeli Commando Raid in Lebanon’s Nabi Sheet

A huge crater left by an Israeli airstrike in the village of Nabi Sheet, eastern Lebanon late Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Salem)
A huge crater left by an Israeli airstrike in the village of Nabi Sheet, eastern Lebanon late Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Salem)
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Asharq Al-Awsat Details Israeli Commando Raid in Lebanon’s Nabi Sheet

A huge crater left by an Israeli airstrike in the village of Nabi Sheet, eastern Lebanon late Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Salem)
A huge crater left by an Israeli airstrike in the village of Nabi Sheet, eastern Lebanon late Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Salem)

The town of Nabi Sheet in Lebanon’s northern Bekaa is in shock after an Israeli military operation that left dozens of residents and people from nearby villages dead and wounded.

The operation involved an Israeli commando raid backed by more than 40 air strikes carried out by fighter jets, attack helicopters and drones, causing widespread destruction across the town and its surroundings.

Attempt to recover Arad’s remains

The Israeli force, made up of about 50 paratroopers, entered the town from three directions, residents said: The Qouz axis toward Serghaya, the Khraibeh axis, and the main western road linking the town entrance to Nabi Sheet square.

Hamm mayor Mohammad Hassan said the infiltration had been preceded by movement through the Eastern Mountain Range from two axes — Abu Fares field and the Shaara area — suggesting multiple routes of advance during the operation.

Residents told Asharq Al-Awsat the force appeared to be attempting to recover the remains of Israeli pilot Ron Arad, missing since 1986 and believed to be buried in the Shokr family cemetery near the mountain road linking Nabi Sheet to the towns of Khraibeh, Janta and Shaara near Serghaya on the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Helicopter landing

During the operation, Israeli troops deployed observation and security positions inside the town, particularly in the Shokr neighborhood near the cemetery entrance and close to the Shokr mosque and husseiniya. Other troops spread along the town’s main street in anticipation of possible clashes.

Information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat said the force landed by three helicopters in the Qouz area before moving into the town through the surrounding highlands.

Residents also said ambulances and vehicles carrying Lebanese license plates were used, along with personnel wearing the uniforms of Hezbollah’s Islamic Health Authority and Lebanese Army military attire — raising questions about how the force reached the town.

Operation exposed

The operation was uncovered when members of the force opened fire with silenced rifles on a Hezbollah member passing through the area, killing him instantly.

The shooting alerted residents and Hezbollah members, who moved quickly to surround the Israeli force and engage it.

Before being exposed, the force had dug a narrow pit at the cemetery measuring about one-meter-long, 50 centimeters deep and 40 centimeters wide. Heavy gunfire across the town forced the force to withdraw before reaching its objective.

Hamda Assad al-Halbawi woke to the sound of digging near the cemetery. When she stepped outside to see what was happening, commando members fired at her from the direction of the graveyard, hitting her in the head. When her son tried to rescue her, a drone struck their car, killing them both.

Air strikes and ambushes

After the force was exposed, Israeli aircraft launched intense strikes on roads leading to the town to prevent reinforcements from nearby villages.

The strikes targeted the Nabi Sheet–Nasiriyah road, the Nabi Sheet–Sarein secondary road, the plain road, the Nabi Sheet–Khodr road and the Aqabeh–Baalbek road. The mountain road and the main road were left open to facilitate the force’s withdrawal.

Missiles fired during the strikes created a massive crater estimated to be about 10 meters deep and roughly 80 meters wide. The bombardment caused extensive destruction, with cars hurled onto building rooftops, particularly in Nabi Sheet square.

As the force withdrew, it came under ambush along the Khraibeh–Janta–Shaara road, where the fiercest clashes took place.

Heavy toll

The clashes and withdrawal left many dead, including about 35 people from Nabi Sheet, nine from Khraibeh, one from Sarein and another from Ali al-Nahri. Three Lebanese Army soldiers and one member of General Security were also killed.

Residents said Israeli forces used 16 mm rifles fitted with silencers.

Questions remain

Residents remain stunned by the scale of the operation and the destruction it caused, while questioning how the force managed to infiltrate an area they say is under constant surveillance.

They say the Israeli force ultimately failed to achieve its objective and withdrew under heavy fire and pressure from the clashes.

That account does not contradict Israel’s version of events. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said no evidence linked Arad was found at the search site.

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Arab World

Washington Targets Hezbollah’s Alternative Funding Networks

Hezbollah supporters hold up a portrait of the group’s former secretaries-general, Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, during the second anniversary of their assassinations in Beirut’s southern suburbs (AP). 
Hezbollah supporters hold up a portrait of the group’s former secretaries-general, Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, during the second anniversary of their assassinations in Beirut’s southern suburbs (AP). 
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Washington Targets Hezbollah’s Alternative Funding Networks

Hezbollah supporters hold up a portrait of the group’s former secretaries-general, Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, during the second anniversary of their assassinations in Beirut’s southern suburbs (AP). 
Hezbollah supporters hold up a portrait of the group’s former secretaries-general, Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, during the second anniversary of their assassinations in Beirut’s southern suburbs (AP). 

The United States is stepping up efforts to track alternative financing channels used by Hezbollah as tighter sanctions threaten its traditional sources of funding, particularly Iranian money that has long underpinned the group’s military and security capabilities and political influence in Lebanon.

Washington’s campaign extends beyond restricting Iranian transfers to tracing foreign funding networks and cross-border commercial activities that Hezbollah could use to compensate for any decline in Tehran’s support.

A Reuters report last week that Hezbollah had received $200 million in cash from Iran the previous month to assist tens of thousands of families displaced by the war prompted a response from the US State Department.

The department expressed doubt that the money had reached Hezbollah but reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining pressure on the group’s funding sources through sanctions, while supporting the legitimate Lebanese government’s efforts to rebuild southern Lebanon.

New round of sanctions

Sami Nader, director of the Middle East Institute for Strategic Affairs, described the measures as part of a new round of US sanctions aimed at tightening financial pressure on Iran and its regional affiliates.

“The issue is not specifically Hezbollah, but primarily Iran,” Nader told Asharq Al-Awsat, pointing to a recent US announcement describing Hezbollah as an integral part of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Nader said Tehran had developed alternative channels to circumvent financial restrictions, particularly through gold and cryptocurrencies.

He described an expanding network of such activities across the region, with links to Iran and Hezbollah.

The latest sanctions are designed to target these alternative mechanisms, he explained.

Nader added that if cryptocurrency offices linked to these networks are found to exist, Lebanese authorities would likely be asked to shut them down and take action against them, while also tightening oversight of gold transactions.

Four sources of financing

Hezbollah has long relied on multiple funding sources, particularly under previous Lebanese administrations that turned a blind eye to billions of dollars reaching the group, including through official border crossings.

Economist Antoine Farah identified four principal sources of financing: The first was direct Iranian support, provided through regular transfers from Tehran. The second involved illicit activities, particularly drug smuggling and the Captagon trade, which Farah said Hezbollah had engaged in both inside Lebanon and abroad, notably in several Latin American countries. The third consisted of substantial donations from Shiite financiers and supporters around the world. The fourth was a network of front businesses established to generate additional revenue, launder money and conceal the origins and destinations of funds.

Farah told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah’s ability to draw on most of these sources had declined considerably, while the group faced mounting pressure from legislative and regulatory measures being strengthened in Lebanon.

Stricter financial oversight

Farah highlighted amendments being introduced to Law No. 44 on combating money laundering and terrorist financing, particularly provisions requiring the identification of the ultimate beneficial owners of companies and commercial enterprises.

Identifying who ultimately benefits from commercial activities, while tracing the origins and destinations of funds, would help restrict the operations of front businesses established by Hezbollah, he explained.

Farah also pointed to measures being taken by Banque du Liban, Lebanon’s central bank, to regulate currency exchange dealers and money transfer companies.

He said the measures were making it increasingly difficult to exploit these sectors to transfer money and channel financing to Hezbollah.

Arab World

Syrian Security Forces Step Up anti-ISIS Operations, Pursue Former Regime Loyalists

A scene from the arrests carried out in Masyaf (Hama Security Correspondent).
A scene from the arrests carried out in Masyaf (Hama Security Correspondent).
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Syrian Security Forces Step Up anti-ISIS Operations, Pursue Former Regime Loyalists

A scene from the arrests carried out in Masyaf (Hama Security Correspondent).
A scene from the arrests carried out in Masyaf (Hama Security Correspondent).

Syrian security forces have intensified operations against ISIS cells following a deadly September bus attack near Masyaf in central Syria, while separately pursuing former regime operatives accused of crimes against civilians.

Within a week, authorities announced the dismantling of an ISIS cell in Homs province, following the arrest of the group’s alleged military commander there. Seven former regime suspects were also detained as part of transitional justice efforts.

The Internal Security Forces announced that raids in the Houla area of northern Homs, conducted with the General Intelligence Directorate, had dismantled an ISIS-linked cell and foiled planned attacks on places of worship and security patrols.

Two suspects were arrested and two explosive devices were seized. Preliminary investigations indicated that the detainees had received and transported explosives and monitored potential targets as part of plans to incite unrest and undermine security.

One suspect was caught attempting to plant an explosive device on a railway track, authorities reported. Investigations are continuing to identify other cell members and their connections.

The operation followed the arrest about three days earlier of Khaled Raed Bayrouni, known as Abu Hassan Doshka, in Hujayra, near Damascus. The Interior Ministry described him as ISIS’s operational arm in Homs and the group’s overall military commander in its so-called Homs province.

Bayrouni is accused of planning and overseeing bombings and sectarian attacks, including an explosion at an Alawite mosque in Homs that killed eight people in late 2025.

Authorities also launched raids and arrests following a Sept. 27 attack on a bus transporting workers near the Masyaf bypass bridge, on the road linking Masyaf and Homs, that killed seven civilians.

Despite ISIS’s territorial defeat in Syria and Iraq, its small cells remain a security threat, exploiting instability and security gaps, particularly in remote areas.

In early October, the international coalition against ISIS pledged more than $75 million to support Syria’s counterterrorism efforts, including measures to address security vulnerabilities and dismantle dormant cells.

Separately, the Defense Ministry reported Saturday that a Syrian army soldier had died of wounds sustained in a shooting by unidentified gunmen Tuesday evening in Buqrus, eastern Deir Ezzor province.

Two customs patrol members were also wounded when unidentified attackers opened fire near Izraa bridge in Daraa province as officers escorted a transit convoy, the General Authority for Ports and Customs announced Saturday.

Former regime suspects arrested

In a parallel operation, security forces detained seven former regime suspects in Masyaf, Hama province, accusing them of serious abuses against civilians.

Nabil Adnan Ismail and Ghazi Mohammed Ismail allegedly commanded groups within militias affiliated with the former Air Force Intelligence Directorate and participated in kidnappings, looting and massacres, including violence in Aqrab village. They also face extortion allegations.

Brothers Taher Youssef al-Mohammed and Talal Youssef al-Mohammed, who served in Air Force Intelligence and the Scientific Studies and Research Center, are accused of repression, arrests and exploiting access to detainees’ files to extort their families.

Faisal Badour, nicknamed “Tiger Cub” for his alleged brutality toward civilians, joined armed militias in 2012 and participated in former regime military operations in Hama and Aleppo provinces.

Another detainee, Assef Salameh, served as a noncommissioned officer at defense factories until 2018.

Authorities had earlier arrested Shaheen Hamdan al-Shaheen, a founder of the Air Force Intelligence-linked Shaheen Regiment militia.

He is accused of involvement in massacres in eastern Hama and along the Athriya–Raqqa road in 2017. His militia allegedly committed killings, arrests, torture and destruction in Palmyra and Deir Ezzor province through 2019.

Arab World

Abbas Calls for Palestinian Presidential, Legislative Elections in September 2027

 A sign promoting Palestinian legislative elections on a road near the West Bank city of Jenin (File photo: EPA). 
 A sign promoting Palestinian legislative elections on a road near the West Bank city of Jenin (File photo: EPA). 
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Abbas Calls for Palestinian Presidential, Legislative Elections in September 2027

 A sign promoting Palestinian legislative elections on a road near the West Bank city of Jenin (File photo: EPA). 
 A sign promoting Palestinian legislative elections on a road near the West Bank city of Jenin (File photo: EPA). 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has issued a decree calling for simultaneous presidential and legislative elections on Sept. 11, 2027, canceling a legislative vote scheduled for Nov. 28, 2026, after his Fatah movement and other Palestinian factions agreed to postpone it.

The widely anticipated decision sets a new date for Palestinians to elect both their president and lawmakers amid concerns over Israeli restrictions and the security situation in Gaza and the West Bank.

The decree calls on Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip to participate in free, direct presidential and legislative elections to choose the president of the State of Palestine and members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, in accordance with the law.

Abbas had previously issued decrees calling for legislative elections on two occasions, most recently scheduling them for November 2026, before canceling the plans.

An informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat that setting a firm date for simultaneous presidential and legislative elections was intended to demonstrate the Palestinian leadership’s commitment to holding the vote and reassure France and the international community that it would proceed with renewing the legitimacy of Palestinian institutions.

The decision followed a recommendation by the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to revoke Decree No. 4 of 2026, which had called for legislative elections in November.

At a meeting Saturday, the PLO Executive Committee approved moving the legislative vote to September 2027 to coincide with the presidential election.

It attributed the decision to national consultations with Palestinian factions and political forces, which had produced a consensus on the obstacles posed by Israeli measures to holding elections on the original date.

The committee also cited the need to establish suitable political, security and on-the-ground conditions to ensure free, fair and comprehensive elections.

In a statement, the committee argued that circumstances had changed substantially since the election date was announced several months earlier, following successful elections for trade unions, professional associations, and local authorities.

It pointed to the failure to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2803, the absence of international stabilization forces and Palestinian police in Gaza, and the continued presence of Israeli troops in the territory.

The committee also cited ongoing attacks, insecurity and restrictions preventing the Central Elections Commission and local and international observers from entering Gaza.

These conditions, it maintained, made it impossible to establish an environment conducive to elections or guarantee the safety of voters, candidates and election workers.

The committee further warned that what it described as catastrophic conditions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, posed serious obstacles to holding the vote.

It accused Israeli settlers of carrying out daily attacks, including burning homes, uprooting olive trees and stealing crops and livestock, under the protection of Israeli forces.

The statement also condemned what it called the Israeli government’s continued expansion of settlements, seizure of Palestinian land, demolition of homes and attacks on Muslim and Christian holy sites.

It cited checkpoints, movement restrictions, pressure on the Palestinian economy and the withholding of Palestinian funds totaling nearly $7 billion as additional obstacles.

Despite the postponement, the PLO Executive Committee reaffirmed its commitment to holding elections with the participation of all Palestinians in the State of Palestine, including those in Gaza and East Jerusalem.

It stressed that the vote must be conducted safely and fairly, with international observers present, free from Israeli obstruction, while preserving the unity of Palestinian territory, people and institutions.