Israeli soldiers arrest suspected Hezbollah naval ops official during a naval attack in northern Lebanon

Israeli naval forces have captured a senior Hezbollah operative in northern Lebanon as the conflict between the Iran-backed group and Israel showed little sign of easing.

An Israeli military official said in a statement that IDF forces captured a “senior operative of Hezbollah” and brought him back to Israel for investigation by military intelligence.

The media outlet Axios quoted Israeli sources as saying that the captured man is named Imad Amhaz and is believed to be responsible for Hezbollah’s naval operations.

Two Lebanese military officials confirmed that a naval force had landed in Batroun, about 30 kilometers north of the capital Beirut, and kidnapped a Lebanese national.

The operation marks the first time Israel has announced that it has deployed troops deep into northern Lebanon to capture a high-ranking Hezbollah operative since the conflict between the two sides escalated in late September.

Hezbollah issued a statement describing the events as “Zionist aggression in the Batroun area.” The statement provided no details and did not confirm whether any Hezbollah member was captured by Israel.

Shortly after Israel made the operation public, Lebanese interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on the Lebanese Foreign Minister to file a complaint against Israel with the UN Security Council.

Lebanese residents of the apartment complex where the man was arrested recounted the event, saying the armed group presented itself as state security.

“We were terrified. They broke into the apartment next to ours,” said Hussein Delbani.

“I thought a government agency was conducting a security operation.”

Kandice Ardiel, a spokesperson for the UN peacekeeping force deployed in Lebanon, UNIFIL, denied allegations by some local journalists who said the peacekeepers assisted the Israeli landing force in the operation.

“Disinformation and false rumors are irresponsible and endanger peacekeepers,” Ardiel said.

Cross-border fire

Hezbollah and Israel have had almost daily clashes since the start of the war in Gaza last October.

Hezbollah is ideologically linked to the Gaza-based militant group Hamas and Hezbollah says its attacks on Israel are in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Years of cross-border fighting, which has displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border, culminated in a full-blown war on October 1, when Israeli forces launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon for the first time since 2006.

It is estimated that up to 15,000 IDF soldiers are deployed in Lebanon.