A leading al-Qaeda operative has accused Hezbollah of “protecting” Israel. This is believed to mark the first time a high-ranking figure in the (Sunni-dominated) global terror network has openly condemned the Lebanese Shia terror group.

In an interview with Al-Akhbar Al-Fajr, a website al-Qaeda uses to promote its jihadist ideology, Salah Al-Karawi said Hezbollah and the Lebanese army have become “bodyguards” for Israel. “They don’t allow us to act, but they don’t strike Israel themselves,” he said, describing Hezbollah as “nothing more than protectors of the Jews. It is the biggest hurdle delaying our activity on the ground against Israel.”

Al-Karawi — who is 35th on the list of Saudi Arabia’s 85 most wanted men — is an expert in document forgery and is thought to be responsible for establishing new al-Qaeda terror cells worldwide.

In 2006, Hezbollah launched a war with Israel in which hundreds of Israeli and Lebanese civilians died.