Israel kills Hezbollah Radwan Force commander in Lebanon’s Beirut strike amid ceasefire tensions
3 min readMay 7, 2026 06:00 PM IST
Israel on Thursday said it had killed a commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in an airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, the first strike on the Lebanese capital since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect last month.
The strike hit the Dahieh area in southern Beirut on Wednesday night, targeting what Israel described as a Hezbollah command presence. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the operation had been personally approved and claimed the commander was involved in attacks on Israeli troops and communities in northern Israel.
According to Lebanese media reports, members of Hezbollah’s Radwan unit were meeting when the strike took place around 8 pm local time. Videos circulating online showed flames rising from a damaged building in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood, a Hezbollah stronghold. Hezbollah had not officially commented on the strike till Thursday morning.
🔴ELIMINATED: In recent weeks, 220+ Hezbollah terrorists who posed a threat to IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians have been eliminated.
Key terrorists were eliminated including:
– Ahmed Ali Balout, the Commander of Hezbollah’s ‘Radwan Force’ Unit
– Muhammad Ali Bazi – Head of… pic.twitter.com/u0xAVDvza7— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 7, 2026
The attack has deepened the tension on the already fragile ceasefire announced on April 16 after weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The truce mostly stopped Israeli attacks on Beirut; however, fighting has continued in southern Lebanon, with both sides blaming each other for breaching the deal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
Yesterday evening, we eliminated the commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, in the heart of Beirut.
This is the same senior terrorist who led the plan to conquer the North. pic.twitter.com/dLtupPp8w5
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) May 7, 2026
Israel has been carrying out military actions south of the Litani River and claims that its goal is to create a “Hezbollah-free” security zone along the border. Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran, has reacted with rocket and drone attacks directed at Israeli soldiers and northern Israel.
Lebanon’s health ministry stated that more than 2,700 have died in Lebanon since the restart of the fighting in March. Israel states that 17 soldiers and two civilians have lost their lives during the conflict.
