Foiled Damascus plot allegedly targeted Maronite rabbi; Hezbollah denies link

Foiled plot in Damascus

Syrian authorities announced that security forces in Damascus disrupted a cell accused of planning an attack on a religious figure in the Bab Tuma neighborhood. Israeli and Syrian media identified the alleged target as Rabbi Michael Khoury. The Interior Ministry said a woman in the cell attempted to plant explosives near the home of “one of the religious figures in the vicinity of the Maronite Church,” and claimed initial investigations point to the suspects being Hezbollah members who received specialized military training abroad.

Hezbollah denied any involvement, saying it has no activity or presence in Syria and calling for a thorough investigation. Jewish migration expert Dan Brotman praised Damascus’s handling of the incident and noted renewed Jewish interest in Syria despite Israel’s Level 4 travel warning; he also pointed out that foiled plots have occurred worldwide and that the small remaining Jewish community in Syria has not been harmed since October 7, 2023. as reported by Jerusalem Post

This story has also been reported by: Enab Baladi