An Israeli drone strike was carried out on the Damascus-Beirut highway on Monday, hitting an SUV and killing prominent Syrian businessman Mohammed Baraa Katerji. It is unconfirmed, but Israeli media reported a Hezbollah commander was also slain in the strike.
Israel did not comment on the attack nor indicate why Katerji would be targeted for killing. Katerji was reportedly sanctioned by the United States for his and his family’s involvement in the Syrian oil industry.
Israeli public broadcaster, KAN, however, accused Katerji of funding Hezbollah to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. They also suggested he had been funding the Iranian Quds Force.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights speculated that Katerji had been involved in the funding of the resistance against Israel in the occupied Golan Heights in the past. He was said to be close to the Assad government.
The attack comes just a day after Israel carried out overnight strikes on Syrian military targets, in retaliation for a pair of drones entering Israeli territory from Syria.
Israel has been carrying out a growing number of strikes along the Syria-Lebanon border, as well as attacks in southern Lebanon. Although some strikes are nominally related to Hezbollah’s presence in the area, others seem to target Syrian military in general.
