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| Hezbollah Leader, Long Detained by Israel, Is Killed in Syria | |
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| RAMALLAH, West Bank — A Lebanese man who was imprisoned for nearly three decades for his involvement in one of the most notorious attacks in Israel — and who later joined the Shiite militia Hezbollah — was killed in Syria, his family and the militia said on Sunday. | RAMALLAH, West Bank — A Lebanese man who was imprisoned for nearly three decades for his involvement in one of the most notorious attacks in Israel — and who later joined the Shiite militia Hezbollah — was killed in Syria, his family and the militia said on Sunday. |
| The killing of the man, Samir Kuntar, in a government-held neighborhood of Damascus on Saturday night, underscored the complexity of Syria’s civil war and the long arms of its many players. | The killing of the man, Samir Kuntar, in a government-held neighborhood of Damascus on Saturday night, underscored the complexity of Syria’s civil war and the long arms of its many players. |
| Mr. Kuntar was a secular Lebanese who was born into the Druze community, an offshoot of Islam. He committed a gruesome attack in the name of liberating Palestine, and was imprisoned by Israel. He was freed in a prisoner exchange by Hezbollah and then was assigned an important mission in its war in Syria, where the militant Shiite group is fighting alongside President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, playing an increasingly crucial role in keeping him in power. | Mr. Kuntar was a secular Lebanese who was born into the Druze community, an offshoot of Islam. He committed a gruesome attack in the name of liberating Palestine, and was imprisoned by Israel. He was freed in a prisoner exchange by Hezbollah and then was assigned an important mission in its war in Syria, where the militant Shiite group is fighting alongside President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, playing an increasingly crucial role in keeping him in power. |
| Some reactions to Mr. Kuntar’s death reflected the fall of Hezbollah itself in the estimation of the wider Arab and Muslim world since it veered from its usual mission fighting Israel to help Mr. Assad crush a rebellion dominated by members of Syria’s Sunni Muslim majority. | Some reactions to Mr. Kuntar’s death reflected the fall of Hezbollah itself in the estimation of the wider Arab and Muslim world since it veered from its usual mission fighting Israel to help Mr. Assad crush a rebellion dominated by members of Syria’s Sunni Muslim majority. |
| “Hezbollah commander Samir Kuntar began by killing 4-year-old Israeli girl in 1979 and ended it killing Syrian people,” said Abdurahman Harkoush, a self-identified supporter of the Syrian insurgency, on Twitter. | “Hezbollah commander Samir Kuntar began by killing 4-year-old Israeli girl in 1979 and ended it killing Syrian people,” said Abdurahman Harkoush, a self-identified supporter of the Syrian insurgency, on Twitter. |
| The reports of Mr. Kuntar’s death also end a painful chapter for the families of Mr. Kuntar’s victims. | The reports of Mr. Kuntar’s death also end a painful chapter for the families of Mr. Kuntar’s victims. |
| He was imprisoned in 1979 in Israel after he and three other Lebanese men conducted a cross-border attack in Nahariya, an Israeli coastal town, killing a policeman, and an Israeli man and his daughter, as the man’s wife accidentally smothered their other small child while trying to keep her quiet. | He was imprisoned in 1979 in Israel after he and three other Lebanese men conducted a cross-border attack in Nahariya, an Israeli coastal town, killing a policeman, and an Israeli man and his daughter, as the man’s wife accidentally smothered their other small child while trying to keep her quiet. |
| “It’s a kind of relief,” said Smadar Haran Kaiser, the only survivor of the attack. His footprints were “full of blood of victims,” she said in a call to reporters. | “It’s a kind of relief,” said Smadar Haran Kaiser, the only survivor of the attack. His footprints were “full of blood of victims,” she said in a call to reporters. |
| Mr. Kuntar’s brother confirmed his death on Sunday without giving details. But he called his brother a martyr, suggesting he died in the context of a battle or a military mission. | Mr. Kuntar’s brother confirmed his death on Sunday without giving details. But he called his brother a martyr, suggesting he died in the context of a battle or a military mission. |
| “With pride we mourn the martyrdom of the leader Samir Kuntar and we are honored to join families of martyrs,” Bassam Kuntar wrote on his Facebook page. | “With pride we mourn the martyrdom of the leader Samir Kuntar and we are honored to join families of martyrs,” Bassam Kuntar wrote on his Facebook page. |
| Hezbollah and its followers revered Mr. Kuntar for surviving nearly 30 years in Israeli prisons. The party’s official TV channel, Al Manar, praised him Sunday morning as “the dean of Arab detainees.” | Hezbollah and its followers revered Mr. Kuntar for surviving nearly 30 years in Israeli prisons. The party’s official TV channel, Al Manar, praised him Sunday morning as “the dean of Arab detainees.” |
| The devastating 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, with its attendant suffering and political turmoil on both sides, started, in a way, because of him. | The devastating 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, with its attendant suffering and political turmoil on both sides, started, in a way, because of him. |
| The war began after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid, seeking bargaining chips for prisoner exchanges. | The war began after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid, seeking bargaining chips for prisoner exchanges. |
| Two years later, Israel released Mr. Kuntar, along with four other Lebanese prisoners, in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed in the 2006 raid. | Two years later, Israel released Mr. Kuntar, along with four other Lebanese prisoners, in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed in the 2006 raid. |
| Hezbollah had recently elevated Mr. Kuntar to an important position, leading the group’s operations in southern Syria along the frontier of the Israeli-held part of the Golan Heights. | Hezbollah had recently elevated Mr. Kuntar to an important position, leading the group’s operations in southern Syria along the frontier of the Israeli-held part of the Golan Heights. |
| But its expanded presence on the ground also raised speculation that Hezbollah was trying to secure a new foothold in Syrian territory near the Israeli-held Golan Heights. | But its expanded presence on the ground also raised speculation that Hezbollah was trying to secure a new foothold in Syrian territory near the Israeli-held Golan Heights. |
| Those efforts did not go smoothly, however, and more recently, Mr. Kuntar had a somewhat modified role, setting up a Hezbollah-trained militia in the southern province of Swaida, populated mainly by Syrian Druze. | Those efforts did not go smoothly, however, and more recently, Mr. Kuntar had a somewhat modified role, setting up a Hezbollah-trained militia in the southern province of Swaida, populated mainly by Syrian Druze. |
| Hezbollah swiftly blamed Israel for Mr. Kuntar’s death, an unusually quick confirmation. Over several years during the chaotic war in Syria, Israeli warplanes have struck targets inside Syria, several times said to be targeting weapons deliveries meant for Hezbollah. | Hezbollah swiftly blamed Israel for Mr. Kuntar’s death, an unusually quick confirmation. Over several years during the chaotic war in Syria, Israeli warplanes have struck targets inside Syria, several times said to be targeting weapons deliveries meant for Hezbollah. |
| Israel does not confirm its strikes in Syria officially, and the Syrian government has tended to downplay them, saying that it will respond when it deems appropriate. | Israel does not confirm its strikes in Syria officially, and the Syrian government has tended to downplay them, saying that it will respond when it deems appropriate. |
| “There is no doubt that whoever did it — this is a capability that is limited to a very small number of powers, states that can get to such capabilities, which begin with the level of very, very exact intelligence,” said Eyal Ben-Reuven, a retired major general, to Israeli radio on Sunday. | “There is no doubt that whoever did it — this is a capability that is limited to a very small number of powers, states that can get to such capabilities, which begin with the level of very, very exact intelligence,” said Eyal Ben-Reuven, a retired major general, to Israeli radio on Sunday. |
| When asked if Israel had those capabilities, he responded: “Israel is one of the leaders. And that is an understatement.” | When asked if Israel had those capabilities, he responded: “Israel is one of the leaders. And that is an understatement.” |
| While other strikes have been in remote areas, the one in Jaramana was too obvious to delay confirmation, and its target too high-profile. | While other strikes have been in remote areas, the one in Jaramana was too obvious to delay confirmation, and its target too high-profile. |
| It took place in an extremely crowded urban area, making the risk of civilian casualties high. A person in Jaramana who said he had witnessed the aftermath said that a five-story residential building had been completely destroyed. | It took place in an extremely crowded urban area, making the risk of civilian casualties high. A person in Jaramana who said he had witnessed the aftermath said that a five-story residential building had been completely destroyed. |
| A statement on the Facebook page of a Druze militia in Jaramana said the building was hit with “four long-range missiles.” | A statement on the Facebook page of a Druze militia in Jaramana said the building was hit with “four long-range missiles.” |
| Footage aired on Syrian television strike showed a blackened, partially smashed building, men furiously digging through the rubble with their hands and a smashed vehicle. | Footage aired on Syrian television strike showed a blackened, partially smashed building, men furiously digging through the rubble with their hands and a smashed vehicle. |
| It was not clear how many people were killed in Jaramana, a neighborhood with an ethnically and religiously mixed population that includes many Druze and Christians, but which has become overcrowded with Syrians displaced from other areas. | It was not clear how many people were killed in Jaramana, a neighborhood with an ethnically and religiously mixed population that includes many Druze and Christians, but which has become overcrowded with Syrians displaced from other areas. |
| However, also killed in the attack, according to pro-government websites, was Farhan al-Sha’alan, a leader of the Syrian Resistance in the Golan, a group affiliated with Hezbollah. | However, also killed in the attack, according to pro-government websites, was Farhan al-Sha’alan, a leader of the Syrian Resistance in the Golan, a group affiliated with Hezbollah. |
| Mr. Kuntar would be the second leader of Hezbollah’s southern front to die in an Israeli strike. His predecessor Jihad Mughniyeh, the son of Hezbollah’s former operations chief, Imad Mughniyeh, was killed in January in Quneitra, near the Golan Heights border area, by an Israeli strike. The elder Mughniyeh was assassinated in Damascus in 2008, an attack also believed to have been carried out by Israel. | Mr. Kuntar would be the second leader of Hezbollah’s southern front to die in an Israeli strike. His predecessor Jihad Mughniyeh, the son of Hezbollah’s former operations chief, Imad Mughniyeh, was killed in January in Quneitra, near the Golan Heights border area, by an Israeli strike. The elder Mughniyeh was assassinated in Damascus in 2008, an attack also believed to have been carried out by Israel. |
| Days after the 2015 attack, Hezbollah carried out what appeared to be a limited response, calibrated to be seen as punishing Israel, but careful to avoid provoking another war. | Days after the 2015 attack, Hezbollah carried out what appeared to be a limited response, calibrated to be seen as punishing Israel, but careful to avoid provoking another war. |
| Over the past several months a growing number of senior figures from both Hezbollah and its patron Iran have been killed in fighting Syria against Syrian insurgents and Islamic State militants, hinting at the intensification of their efforts on the battlefield, where many commanders lead from the front. However, Mr. Kuntar appeared to have been killed in a residential area, not during combat. | Over the past several months a growing number of senior figures from both Hezbollah and its patron Iran have been killed in fighting Syria against Syrian insurgents and Islamic State militants, hinting at the intensification of their efforts on the battlefield, where many commanders lead from the front. However, Mr. Kuntar appeared to have been killed in a residential area, not during combat. |
| The strike also carried significance for the wider war in Syria, which has become a multisided conflict with numerous international players involved — most recently, Russia. | The strike also carried significance for the wider war in Syria, which has become a multisided conflict with numerous international players involved — most recently, Russia. |
| The Israeli strike dented the new sense of security on the part of Mr. Assad’s supporters that came after Russia began its direct military intervention in the conflict in late September, using its air power to shore up Mr. Assad and his Hezbollah allies. | The Israeli strike dented the new sense of security on the part of Mr. Assad’s supporters that came after Russia began its direct military intervention in the conflict in late September, using its air power to shore up Mr. Assad and his Hezbollah allies. |
| Government supporters in Damascus expressed anger on Sunday conversations and in comments on pro-government websites, complaining that traitors must have revealed Mr. Kuntar’s whereabouts. | Government supporters in Damascus expressed anger on Sunday conversations and in comments on pro-government websites, complaining that traitors must have revealed Mr. Kuntar’s whereabouts. |
| They also asked why Russia’s warplanes and antiaircraft guns, deployed in Syria, did not shoot down the Israeli warplanes. | They also asked why Russia’s warplanes and antiaircraft guns, deployed in Syria, did not shoot down the Israeli warplanes. |
| But Saturday’s attack, according to local media, was a standoff strike, with four or five rockets fired by Israeli warplanes that did not cross into Syrian airspace. | But Saturday’s attack, according to local media, was a standoff strike, with four or five rockets fired by Israeli warplanes that did not cross into Syrian airspace. |
| Deliveries of Russian antiaircraft guns to Syria would have little effect on Israel’s ability to carry out such strikes. | Deliveries of Russian antiaircraft guns to Syria would have little effect on Israel’s ability to carry out such strikes. |
| All the parties to the conflict have been closely watching to see how Russia’s involvements would affect Israel’s abilities to conduct strikes. While Russia’s allies in Syria are mortal enemies of Israel, Russia itself maintains relations with Israel, which has a large population of immigrants from the former Soviet Union. | All the parties to the conflict have been closely watching to see how Russia’s involvements would affect Israel’s abilities to conduct strikes. While Russia’s allies in Syria are mortal enemies of Israel, Russia itself maintains relations with Israel, which has a large population of immigrants from the former Soviet Union. |
| The Russian and Israeli governments are said to have set up a hotline to avoid conflicts between their forces in the air. | The Russian and Israeli governments are said to have set up a hotline to avoid conflicts between their forces in the air. |