The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit on Saturday released the names of senior commanders of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force who were eliminated on Friday following airstrikes in Beirut’s Dahieh neighborhood.
According to the military, Ibrahim Aqil, head of operations and commander of the Radwan Force is the most senior figure eliminated in the latest series of strikes.
“As well as Aqil, 15 other Hezbollah terrorists were eliminated in the strike, including senior commanders in the Radwan Force chain of command,” the IDF said in a statement on Saturday.
“Among the terrorists eliminated, was Abu Hassan Samir, who served as the head of the Radwan Force training unit. He held various positions within the terrorist organization and was commander of the Radwan Force for a decade until early 2024.
“He was one of the planners and leaders of the "Conquer the Galilee" attack plan and was involved in advancing Hezbollah's entrenchment in southern Lebanon while attempting to improve the organization's ground combat capabilities. Over the years, and during the first months of the war, he planned and executed numerous shooting attacks and infiltrations into Israeli territory,” the statement added.
According to the IDF, other senior Hezbollah commanders killed in the strikes included:
- Samer Abdul-Halim Halawi, commander of the coastal area.
- Abbas Sami Maslamani, commander of the Qana area.
- Abdullah Abbas Hajazi, commander of the Ramim ridge area.
- Muhammed Ahmad Reda, commander of the Al-Khiam area.
- Hassan Hussein Madi, commander of the Mount Dov area.
“These commanders had been leading and planning the Radwan Force's attack and infiltration plan into Israeli territory for years, to be executed when given the order,” the military said.
The IDF also confirmed that two other senior Hezbollah members, Hassan Yussef Abad Alssatar and Hussein Ahmad Dahraj, were eliminated in the operation. Alssatar was responsible for Radwan Force operations and advanced all the force's munitions operations while Dahraj acted as the Radwan Force’s chief of staff and was involved in the transfer of weapons and the terror group’s strength-building.
“Aqil and the commanders eliminated in the strike were responsible for planning, advancing, and executing hundreds of terrorist operations against Israel, including the planning of Hezbollah's murderous scheme to raid the communities of the Galilee,” the military said.
Other of Hezbollah’s military officials remain alive, however. These include:
Ali Karaki – A commander on the level of Fuad Shukr and Ibrahim Aqil, both of whom were assassinated. Karaki is responsible for Hezbollah's military operations in southern Lebanon, overseeing the terror group's geographical units in the area.
Muhammad Haydar – Haydar was previously a member of the Lebanese parliament on behalf of Hezbollah. According to Lebanese outlet Al-Akhbar he managed the organization's networks outside Lebanon.
Talal Hamiyah – Leads the terror group’s Unit 910, responsible for conducting Hezbollah's "foreign operations" through cells around the world. This unit is in charge of planning, coordinating, and executing attacks outside Lebanon, particularly against Western targets. The U.S. designated Hamiyah as a wanted terrorist in 2012.
Haytham Ali Tabatabai – A high-ranking, mysterious figure within Hezbollah. He was designated an international terrorist by the U.S. in 2016. According to reports, he’s a central military leader in Hezbollah and commanded the group's special forces in Syria and Yemen.
Abu Ali Rida – Commander of Hezbollah’s Badr Unit which oversees the region north of the Litani River up to the city of Sidon in Lebanon. Rida is the only remaining regional Hezbollah commander in the country’s south.
Another senior military figure is Khuder Yusef Nader who commands Hezbollah’s Unit 900, which serves as Hezbollah’s secret police. Other high-ranking officials, both in Hezbollah's military and political leadership, also play a role in the organization's military decision-making.