Israel thwarts Hezbollah terror at sea, exposing Iran-backed militia abusing civilian cover and Arab-state complicity
In a daring covert operation deep inside Lebanon, Israeli naval commandos from Shayetet 13 successfully dismantled a critical Hezbollah terror initiative, exposing once again how Iran-backed militias exploit civilian frameworks to wage war against Israel.
The mission, codenamed “Behind the Back,” took place last year in the northern Lebanese coastal town of Batroun—approximately 140 kilometers from Israel’s border. Under the direction of the Naval Intelligence Department, elite Israeli forces arrested Imad Amhaz, a senior operative in Hezbollah’s clandestine naval unit.
Amhaz served in Coastal Missile Unit 7900, one of Hezbollah’s most sensitive and tightly guarded projects. Intelligence revealed that he underwent advanced military training both in Lebanon and Iran, while simultaneously participating in courses at Lebanon’s civilian maritime institute, Marsati—further proof of Hezbollah’s systematic abuse of civilian institutions to conceal terror infrastructure.
During interrogation in Israel, Amhaz exposed the inner workings of Hezbollah’s secret naval unit, whose objective was to establish a maritime terror network disguised as civilian maritime activity. The project, directly overseen by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, was intended to threaten Israeli shipping, ports, and offshore assets.
Amhaz worked closely with senior Hezbollah commanders, including Fuad Shuqr—eliminated during the war—and Ali Abdelhassan Nur al-Din, the operative directly responsible for advancing the naval terror file. Their neutralization, combined with critical intelligence extracted from Amhaz, allowed the IDF to halt the project at a decisive stage.
This operation underscores Israel’s intelligence superiority and its determination to prevent Iran and its Arab terror proxies from opening new fronts of attack—on land, in the air, or at sea.
