Israel Kills Hezbollah Radwan Force Commander Balout in Beirut Dahieh Airstrike

Israel carried out an airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as Dahieh, for the first time since it agreed to a ceasefire with Hezbollah, with the attack targeting a commander of the group’s elite Radwan Force.

The BBC said the strike hit around 20:00 local time (18:00 BST) and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally approved it, while local media reported members of the unit were meeting when the attack happened.

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The IDF confirmed Balout was killed in a “precise strike” in Hezbollah’s stronghold, and said he directed Radwan Force attacks against IDF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon.

The IDF also said it has struck more than 180 Hezbollah military sites across southern Lebanon since the beginning of the week, including command centers, weapons depots and loaded launchers ready to fire.

Israeli statements tied the Beirut strike to Radwan Force operations, with Netanyahu saying in a statement: "No terrorist is immune - Israel's long arm will reach every enemy and murderer."

The IDF said Balout was responsible for readiness and preparations for attacks against Israeli forces and civilians, and it added that “Throughout the war, and especially in recent months, Ali Balout directed Radwan Force terrorists.”

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Hezbollah did not publicly react in the BBC account, while the BBC reported there has been no reaction from Hezbollah.

In a separate framing, the Naharnet report quoted a joint statement by Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz that the Israeli army struck in Beirut to target the commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan force to neutralize him, while an AFP-linked source close to Hezbollah said “Malek Ballout, the operations commander in the Radwan force,” was killed.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported deaths and injuries from ongoing Israeli attacks, including that it confirmed 39 people were killed and 136 wounded on Sunday alone, and that overall 1,461 people have been killed and 4,430 wounded since Israeli strikes began on March 2 after Hezbollah joined the war.

The BBC also reported that Lebanon’s health ministry said the attacks have killed more than 120 people across the country in the past week alone, including women and children, and that the ministry does not distinguish combatants from civilians.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun renewed his call for negotiations with Israel so that South Lebanon does not become like Gaza, as Israel continues its airstrikes, ground assault, and destruction of villages in southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, the Sky News Arabia account said UNIFIL expressed grave concern over attacks by Hezbollah and Israel near its positions, saying they may warrant a retaliatory response, and urged both sides to set their weapons aside.