Lebanon: 5 Palestinian Fighters Killed in Blast

Photo: Flickr [via Wikimedia Commons]

The Facts

  • Officials representing the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), a Syrian-backed Palestinian armed group, reported that five of its members were killed and 10 others wounded on Wednesday in the Lebanese town of Qusaya near the Syrian border.

  • The PFLP-GC claimed that Israel launched airstrikes against the group's base in Qusaya, as the group reported intense air activity over its positions all night. However, Israeli sources, in turn, said that its military wasn't involved.


The Spin

Narrative A

Considering Israel and Iran's current military posture in the Levant, it would be unsurprising if this incident was, in fact, the result of Israeli airstrikes. The PFLP-GC's existence is predicated on support from Syria and, to some degree, Iran, thus making it a favorable target for the Israelis.

Narrative B

Though it's surely not a bad thing when Iranian-backed terrorists whose only goal is to destroy the Jewish state are killed, Israel had nothing to do with this. Even Lebanese and Palestinian sources admitted that the blast was caused by human error.


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