Israel Thwarts Major Terrorist Attack on Israelis Overseas, Heightens Security Alert at International Locations.

Israel has decided to raise its alert level at various sites abroad, according to reports this evening. The decision comes in the wake of an overnight assassination in Beirut of Hassan Ali Badir, a Hezbollah operative who had recently been directing Hamas members and helping them plan an imminent attack targeting Israeli civilians.

The IDF and Shin Bet released a joint statement, saying:
“IDF fighter jets, guided by the Shin Bet, recently struck a Hezbollah terrorist in the Dahiyeh area of Beirut. He had been directing Hamas operatives in recent weeks and assisting them in advancing a serious and imminent terror attack against Israeli civilians. The terrorist posed a real and immediate threat, which is why the IDF and Shin Bet acted to eliminate him. The IDF and Shin Bet will continue to take action to remove any threat to the citizens of the State of Israel.”

Today, the National Security Council (NSC) published its assessment regarding the threat level to Israelis abroad, emphasizing that Iran is actively working to harm Israelis outside the country. The NSC urged the public to act responsibly when traveling abroad, to check the status of travel warnings, and to follow the issued recommendations.

The NSC noted that Iran is trying to attack Israeli and Jewish targets around the world, partly in retaliation for the elimination of senior Iranian, Hezbollah, and Hamas figures during the ongoing war. Over the past year, numerous terror plots directed by Iran have been exposed and thwarted, including attempted attacks and kidnappings.

A photo reveal Badir’s close ties to Iranian leadership, showing him aboard a plane with Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of Iran’s Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a senior Iraqi militia figure.