****

In a remarkable escalation of the ongoing conflict, elite Israeli naval commandos have captured a suspected senior Hezbollah operative in a bold sea-and-land mission. This incursion, reportedly the deepest into Lebanese territory by Israeli forces during the current conflict, took place on Friday in Batroun, a city roughly 20 miles north of Beirut.

According to an Israeli military official, who requested anonymity due to strict protocols, the abducted individual has been transported back to Israel for interrogation. The operation was executed by Shayetet 13, an elite naval unit comparable to the U.S. Navy SEALs.

While most Israeli military activities have been limited to aerial bombardments of southern and eastern Lebanon and areas just south of Beirut, this marked a significant deviation with ground troops reaching as far north as Batroun. Lebanon's state-run news agency identified the captured man as Imad Ahmaz, a ship captain, taken from a residential building before the commandos retreated to speedboats.

Residents, including neighbors Hussen and Rania Dilbani, reported being ordered to stay indoors by the commandos, who posed as Lebanese security officers during the raid around 2:30 a.m. The Dilbanis, already displaced twice before from southern Lebanon and Beirut, now plan to leave their apartment following this incident.

Hezbollah has labelled the operation a "Zionist aggression in the Batroun area" but did not confirm whether the captured individual was indeed a member of their group. Batroun, predominantly Christian, is not traditionally a Hezbollah stronghold but has seen an influx of Beirut residents fleeing Israeli bombings.

The Israeli offensive against Hezbollah, which began in September as a response to rocket attacks in solidarity with Hamas, has already displaced over one-fifth of Lebanon's population. The Lebanese government, led by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, has announced plans to file a complaint with the U.N. Security Council over the abduction.

Ali Hamieh, Lebanon's minister of public works and transport, claimed in an interview that the kidnapped man was merely a civilian ship captain attending a maritime course in Batroun, and he had rented a nearby chalet for his stay.

This incident recalls previous conflicts where Israel has conducted daring commando operations deep within Lebanon to capture or eliminate members of Hezbollah and other factions, further heightening tensions in the already volatile region.