The Israel Defense Forces struck Beirut on Wednesday night for the first time in nearly a month, targeting the commander of the terrorist group’s Radwan Force, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said.
The Radwan Force is the Hezbollah unit tasked with infiltrating Israeli territory, seizing areas along the northern border and abducting hostages as part of the Iranian-backed terror group’s " Conquer the Galilee” plan.
Wednesday night’s precision strike came at the orders of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, according to the PMO statement.
“The Radwan terrorists led by him are responsible for fire directed at Israeli communities and attacks against IDF soldiers,” the two said in a joint statement. “No terrorist has immunity—the long arm of Israel will reach every enemy and murderer.”
“We promised to bring security to the residents of the north. This is how we act and this is how we will continue to act,” the statement added.
Wednesday’s attack in Beirut’s southern suburbs—a Hezbollah stronghold—marked the first IDF strike in the capital in almost a month, with the last having been on April 8.
Hezbollah began firing rockets and drones at Israel on March 2, following the targeted killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the opening strikes of Israel’s “Operation Roaring Lion” on Feb. 28.
In response to the Iranian-backed terrorist organization’s violation of the U.S.-brokered Nov. 27, 2024, truce agreement, Jerusalem launched an aerial campaign against Hezbollah and ordered the IDF to advance and take control of additional areas in Southern Lebanon to halt cross-border attacks.
Jerusalem and Beirut on April 16 agreed to a 10-day ceasefire following mediation by U.S. President Donald Trump. The two countries on April 23 agreed to extend the truce for three more weeks following direct talks in Washington, D.C.
However, Netanyahu last week accused Hezbollah of “essentially disintegrating” the temporary ceasefire through its terrorist attacks.
On Wednesday, two IDF soldiers were seriously wounded when Hezbollah suicide drones impacted near troops stationed south of the ceasefire line in Southern Lebanon, the military said. Three other soldiers sustained light injuries.
The soldiers were evacuated to receive medical treatment at an Israeli hospital and their families were notified, it added.
In several other incidents on Wednesday, “interceptors were launched toward rockets and suspicious aerial targets in the area in which IDF soldiers are operating in Southern Lebanon,” the army continued. No injuries to troops were reported.
The IDF also intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle launched from Lebanon toward Israeli territory, triggering air-raid sirens in the Galilee communities of Kiryat Shmona, Kibbutz Manara and Moshav Margaliot. The attack sent some 25,000 people running for bomb shelters, according to the IDF’s Home Front Command.
“Missiles and rocket alerts were activated due to concerns of falling debris from the interceptor,” the military stated.
