The IDF said Balut had been recently directing Radwan Force terrorists and had led dozens of terrorist plots against Israel.
Israel launched its first air strike on Beirut since the ceasefire in Lebanon came into effect on April 16, killing a Hezbollah commander.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement on May 7 saying it had killed Ahmed Ghalib Balut, the commander of the Radwan Force, which it described as “the elite commando unit of the terrorist organization Hezbollah” in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut.
In a post on X on May 6, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “I instructed, together with Defense Minister Israel Katz, to strike now in Beirut the commander of the Radwan Force in the terrorist organization Hezbollah in order to neutralize him.
“Radwan terrorists are responsible for firing at Israeli settlements and harming IDF soldiers. No terrorist has immunity—Israel’s long arm will reach every enemy and murderer.”
The IDF said in its statement that “for years, Ghalib Balut held a series of positions in the ‘Radwan Force’ unit, including commander of the unit’s operations.”
“As part of his duties, he was responsible for the unit’s readiness and alertness for combat against IDF forces and the State of Israel,” it said.
The IDF said Balut had been recently directing Radwan Force terrorists and had led dozens of terrorist plots against IDF forces in southern Lebanon.
Balut had been behind the implementation of Hezbollah’s “Galilee Conquest Plan,” the IDF said.
Galilee is the ancient name for the northern region of Israel, extending to the border with Lebanon.
“The Radwan Force unit operates with the funding and direction of the Iranian terrorist regime to harm IDF forces and citizens of the State of Israel,” the IDF statement said.
