Netanyahu: No terrorist immune after Hezbollah commander killed

“He apparently read in the press that he had immunity in Beirut. So he read—and that will no longer be the case.”

TOPSHOT - First responders inspect the rubble of a collapsed building following an Israeli airstrike a day earlier in Beirut's southern suburb of Haret Hreik on May 7, 2026. Israel on May 6 struck Beirut's southern suburbs in the first such attack in nearly a month, killing a senior Hezbollah commander from its elite Radwan force. At least 11 others were killed in strikes across the country's south and east, Lebanon's health ministry said. (Photo by Anwar AMRO / AFP via Getty Images) / Attention editors: AFP covers the war in the Middle East through its extensive regional network, including bureaus in Tehran, Jerusalem, and several neighboring countries. Since the start of the conflict, journalists have been working under increasingly restrictive conditions. Authorities in several countries have limited reporters' movements, photo and live video coverage from sensitive locations. Some governments and armed groups have banned images of missile or drone strikes and other security-related sites. / — First responders inspect the rubble of a collapsed building following an Israeli airstrike a day earlier in Beirut’s southern suburb of Haret Hreik on May 7, 2026. Photo by Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty Images.

( May 7, 2026 / JNS )

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video statement on Thursday confirming that Israel killed a senior Hezbollah commander in a strike in central Beirut on Wednesday night, identifying the target as the head of the Iranian-backed terrorist group’s Radwan Force.

“This is the same senior terrorist who led the plan to conquer the north,” the premier said. “He thought he could continue directing attacks against our forces and our communities from his covert terrorist headquarters in Beirut. He apparently read in the press that he had immunity in Beirut. So he read—and that will no longer be the case.”

לאף מחבל אין חסינות. כל מי שמאיים על מדינת ישראל - דמו בראשו. pic.twitter.com/EbhbjVuEdi
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 7, 2026

Netanyahu said Israeli forces had killed more than 200 Hezbollah terrorist operatives over the past month and were carrying out similar operations against terrorist cells in Gaza, including on Wednesday.

He warned that “no terrorist has immunity” and said anyone threatening Israel would be targeted. He praised Israeli troops, intelligence services and the air force for their role in the operations.

The prime minister’s statement came shortly after the IDF announced the killing of Ahmed Ali Balout, who the military said “commanded dozens of terror attacks against IDF soldiers operating in Southern Lebanon, including anti-tank missile attacks and the detonation of explosive devices.”

Balout also spearheaded attempts to rebuild the Radwan Force and Hezbollah’s “Conquer the Galilee” Plan, “which was planned and advanced by the unit for years,” the military stated.

Under that plan, the Iranian-backed terrorist organization sought to infiltrate Israel, seize areas along the border and abduct hostages.

The Radwan Force “operates under the sponsorship and direction of the Iranian terror regime with the aim of harming IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians,” the IDF stressed.

Wednesday’s attack in Beirut’s southern suburbs—a Hezbollah stronghold—marked the first IDF strike in the capital since April 8.