By Samah Abdul Fattah | 2024-10-04

Though the Iranian regime has worked to project an image of invincibility in the region through Hizbullah, the Lebanese group and its affiliates have been falling like flies.

In recent years, Hizbullah has courted Palestinian militant groups to help it implement the plans of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), military expert Jamil Abu Hamdan told Al-Fassel.

This has helped Hizbullah secure support in parts of Lebanon where it does not have a large presence, such as Palestinian refugee camps, he said, "in exchange for providing security, political, logistical and financial cover."

But this relationship has proven unreliable.

The recent targeting of leaders of Hizbullah and its allies "underscores the weakness of the cover and protection provided by the party and that there is really no safe place for them," Abu Hamdan said.

Targeted strikes

On October 1, Hassan Maqdah -- son of Mounir Maqdah, who reportedly heads the Lebanese branch of Fatah's armed wing -- was killed in Ain al-Helweh camp outside Sidon.

Mounir Maqdah's brother, Khalil Maqdah, was killed in August, AFP reported.

On September 30, three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, including military security chief Mohammad Abdel-Aal and military commander Imad Odeh, were killed in Beirut.

Hamas's leader in Lebanon, Fatah Sharif, was killed the same day in al-Bass camp in south Lebanon, while Hamas commander Samer al-Hajj was killed in August in Sidon.

The range of locations "indicates the targets have been tracked for a long time, especially since the raids were precise and specific," Abu Hamdan said.

Nowhere to hide

Since the IRGC began establishing regional affiliates, the Iranian regime has surrounded itself with an aura of invincibility, Iranian affairs specialist Sheyar Turko told Al-Fassel.

Recent events in Lebanon "exposed this false propaganda, and it became clear there is no cover for anyone, no matter how high their status is, and they can be killed at any time," he said.

"Just as this applies to Hizbullah, it also applies to the elements and leaders of the Palestinian groups that revolve around it, which led to the fall of a large number of them in a relatively short period," Turko said.

"Some groups, such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Al-Aqsa Brigades, had explicitly announced their participation in the current conflict alongside Hizbullah, which is what most likely led to their pursuit and elimination," he said.

"The party is certainly unable to protect them, especially since it is unable to protect its own leaders," he added. "It lost its entire command hierarchy in less than a week, in the biggest blow the party has suffered since its inception."