Funerals in Bebnine, Akkar, for two fighters from the Islamic Group (Jamaa Islamiya), killed during an Israeli attack in West Bekaa in April 2024. (Credit: Michel Hallak/L’Orient-Le Jour)
BEIRUT — Four days after Israel’s army kidnapped one of its leaders in southern Lebanon, Jamaa Islamiya said on Friday that the abduction was “a challenge to the entire Lebanese State,” according to media reports.
The operation took place the day after Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visited the region.
In a statement, Jamaa welcomed Nawaf Salam's visit, describing it as “an important milestone” and “a sign of hope.”
The group said the abduction of Atwi Atwi, which occurred last Sunday in the village of Hebbarieh in the eastern sector of Lebanon’s southern border, was intended to show that the enemy “holds the initiative” and to send “a message of challenge to the entire Lebanese State.”
The group said the abduction of Atwi Atwi, which took place last Sunday in the village of Hebbarieh near Lebanon’s southern border, was meant to show that the enemy “holds the initiative” and to send “a message of challenge to the entire Lebanese State.”
The Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood urged the state to act to free all Lebanese detainees in enemy prisons and reaffirmed its commitment to official decisions, especially the cease-fire agreement. The group also called on the government to protect peaceful citizens in the South and ensure their safety in their villages and homes.
Despite the cease-fire that took effect on Nov. 27, 2024, ending the war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Israeli army continues attacks in the border areas.
Jamaa, designated as a terrorist organization and sanctioned by the U.S. last month, has moved closer to the “axis of resistance” and Hezbollah following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. As part of this support, Jamaa reactivated its military wing, the “Dawn Forces,” and carried out symbolic operations alongside Hezbollah.
The movement defended Atwi, former president of the Hebbarieh municipal council, praising his “long-standing commitment to public service” and his help to residents during the recent war. It rejected Israeli accusations against him as “lies and pure slander.”
Finally, responding to Israeli claims that it destroyed a Jamaa Islamiya weapons depot in Beit Jinn, Syria, the movement denied any activity outside Lebanon, saying it operates “exclusively within Lebanese borders according to Lebanese law” and called the accusations “false.”
After the Iran-US deal, cautious returns to south Lebanon amid Israeli fire
