An Israeli air strike eliminated a senior commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force and his deputy, the Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday.
The Wednesday night air strike on a building in Nabatieh came on the heels of a heavy Hezbollah rocket barrage on northern Israel. The rocket fire killed a 20-year-old soldier and injured eight others. Israel retaliated with a wave of air strikes on Southern Lebanon.
The IDF identified the commander as Ali Muhammad Aldbas and his deputy as Ibrahim Issa. Another Hezbollah operative was also killed in the strike.
Aldbas was among those who directed a terror attack at the Megiddo Junction in Israel in northern Israel in March 2023 which injured one Israeli. The IDF said Aldbas also planned and carried out other terror activities since October 7.
The Radwan Force, is considered one of the most skilled and highly trained units within Hezbollah. It is believed to have gained extensive experience fighting in Syria’s civil war, particularly in reconnaissance, infiltration behind enemy lines, and urban warfare tactics.
The Radwan Force is believed to have 8,000 members.
The presence of armed Hezbollah forces in Southern Lebanon violates UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the Second War in Lebanon in 2006. Under that agreement, the Lebanese Armed Forces are supposed to be the only armed group south of the Litani River.
Since October 7, around 250,000 Israelis have been evacuated from their homes near the Gaza and Lebanese borders.
