Israel kills senior Hezbollah commander in rare Beirut strike; PM Netanyahu: ‘We promised security’
IDF soldier severely wounded, three lightly injured as Hezbollah continues attacks
An Israeli airstrike killed the commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in Beirut on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in the evening.
The commander named Malek Balout is the highest-ranking leader of the terror group killed by Israel since the start of the ceasefire and he had led the Radwan Force since his predecessor was eliminated by Israel in January 2024.
In a statement, Netanyahu emphasized that the strike was authorized by himself and Defense Minister Israel Katz, after Israeli officials had sought to counter the impression that the Israeli army had its hand tied by U.S. pressure amid mounting casualties from Hezbollah attacks, particularly those using first-person view (FPV) drones.
Scenes from the site of an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut that targeted Hezbollah Radwan Force commander Malek Ballout. pic.twitter.com/TcxmNLw7wh
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) May 6, 2026
The prime minister vowed, “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!”
Security officials reiterated this point while talking to Ynet News, stressing that the IDF is planning significant moves against Hezbollah if operational opportunities arise, including in the capital of Beirut, where the IDF has barely struck since the start of the ceasefire.
An Israeli source also noted that the strike against Balout, which came at a highly sensitive time when talks between Washington and Tehran were reportedly close to success, was coordinated with the Americans.
Lebanese media reports Israeli airstrikes in the southern Lebanon town of Nabatieh. pic.twitter.com/XoUHGxvaV9
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 7, 2026
“The operation was carried out surgically as part of the Israeli government’s policy of thwarting emerging threats. The Hezbollah headquarters that was struck had issued orders for ceasefire violations that targeted and harmed our forces and communities,” the source told Ynet.
A Lebanese political source told the Lebanese newspaper Nidaa Al Watan that Hezbollah’s response would now determine the course of events, and that an escalation by the terror group could collapse the ceasefire entirely, also scuttling the third high-level meeting between representatives from Jerusalem and Beirut that is planned for the coming days.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah continued attacking Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, as well as border communities in Israel.
Hezbollah launched several rockets at Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon this morning, the military says.
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 7, 2026
According to the IDF, the rockets struck near the forces but did not cause any injuries.
Meanwhile, the military says it struck over 15 Hezbollah sites in… pic.twitter.com/tP5HwKvC1w
According to the IDF, Hezbollah “launched several rockets toward IDF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon” on Thursday morning. “The rockets fell adjacent to the soldiers. No IDF injuries were reported.”
On Wednesday, an IDF soldier was severely injured, and three additional soldiers were lightly injured as a result of an explosive drone impact.
Later that day, the IDF carried out over 15 airstrikes on terror infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon, targeting “weapons storage facilities and production sites, headquarters, launch sites, and structures used for military purposes.”
IDF Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, visited troops in southern Lebanon on Wednesday and stated that over 2,000 Hezbollah terrorists had been killed since the renewal of fighting.
“We will seize every opportunity to deepen the dismantling of Hezbollah and continue weakening it. We have a historic opportunity to change the regional reality in this multi-front operation,” he said.
Addressing the troops, Zamir emphasized, “Your mission is to remove every threat to our communities and to our soldiers. All of the IDF’s capabilities are at your disposal. Continue the mission to locate the enemy in the area and dismantle terror infrastructure.”
The IDF views the incident with utmost severity and emphasizes that the conduct of the soldier completely deviates from the values expected of its personnel.
— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) May 6, 2026
Following an initial review, the image in question was taken several weeks ago. The incident will be investigated, and… https://t.co/fi2gQXzdYj
Also on Wednesday, the IDF responded to a picture that was circulating online recently, showing an IDF soldier placing a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon. This follows the defacing of a crucifix in the same area two weeks ago.
“The IDF views the incident with great severity and emphasizes that the soldier’s behavior completely deviates from the values expected of its fighters. Following a preliminary review, it was found that the photo was taken several weeks ago. The incident will be investigated, and command measures against the soldier will be taken according to the findings,” the military vowed.
“The IDF respects freedom of religion and worship, as well as holy sites and religious symbols of all faiths and communities. The IDF is operating against the terrorist infrastructure established by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and there is no intention to harm civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or religious symbols.”
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
You might also like to read this:
