Israeli defense officials believe that the Iranian proxy Hezbollah will try to conceal its activities to resurrect its military infrastructure and capabilities in the Syrian Golan Heights, which were exposed by Israel Hayom on Thursday.
Mustafa Mughniyeh, the commander of Hezbollah activities in the Druze village of Khader, 3.5 kilometers (2 miles) from the Israeli border, could be forced to go underground in fear for his life, the officials say.
Mughniyeh is the eldest son of Imad Mughniyeh, Hezbollah’s former military chief who was assassinated in February 2008 in Damascus in an operation attributed to Israel and the CIA.
Mustafa Mughniyeh’s younger brother, Jihad Mughniyeh, was assassinated in 2015 in the Golan Heights after trying to establish terrorist infrastructure there.
Reports at the time said Jihad Mughniyeh had been building up the organization’s military and terrorist infrastructure in Khader. That assassination was also attributed to Israel.
Hezbollah’s current efforts in the Golan Heights consist primarily of manning lookout posts and providing equipment to local residents who report back to the organization.
According to information gathered by Israel, Mustafa Mughniyeh held a key position in Hezbollah’s arms-smuggling apparatus until recently.
Since the battles between Syrian rebels and government forces in the Syrian Golan Heights ended last July, the border area has been calm. The rebels surrendered or fled, and the Syrian army now controls the area.
