Israel’s announcement that it had killed Ahmad Ghaleb Ballout in a strike targeting the Haret Hreik area of Beirut’s southern suburbs on Wednesday renewed focus on the series of assassinations targeting commanders of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force since the outbreak of the Gaza war.
The strikes seem to be a concentrated campaign aimed at weakening the leadership structure of the group’s elite unit.
Since the early months of the confrontation, the Radwan Force has become a primary target of Israeli strikes, both in south Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs, as Israel pursued field and military commanders responsible for offensive operations and oversight of drone, assault and combined operations units.
Israeli army spokeswoman Ella Waweya said the military “carried out a strike on Wednesday and eliminated Ahmad Ghaleb Ballout, a commander in the Radwan Force, Hezbollah’s elite commando unit, in Beirut’s southern suburbs.”
According to the Israeli account, Ballout held several positions within the Radwan Force over the years, most notably operations commander, where he was responsible for the unit’s “combat readiness and mobilization against the Israeli army.”
Waweya said Ballout also played a role in “efforts to restore the capabilities of the Radwan Force,” particularly what Israel refers to as the “plan to occupy the Galilee,” long viewed by Israel’s military establishment as one of the main threats posed by Hezbollah’s elite unit.
Over recent months, details have gradually emerged about commanders who played central roles within the force before becoming direct targets in the ongoing assassination campaign.
Wissam al-Tawil: The first major target
Wissam Hassan al-Tawil was the first prominent Radwan commander whose killing was announced by Israel after the start of the confrontation linked to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Born in 1970 in Tyre, he joined Hezbollah at a young age and rose through the group’s military ranks.
According to the Israeli announcement, Tawil “was known as one of the overseers of the external operations and military manufacturing portfolio” and was also a member of Hezbollah’s central Shura Council, making him one of the influential military figures within the organization.
On Jan. 8, 2024, an Israeli drone targeted the vehicle carrying him in the southern town of Khirbet Selm, in what marked the beginning of a new phase in the targeting of Radwan commanders.
Mohammad Nasser: Commander of the western sector
Mohammad Nasser emerged as one of the leading commanders of the Aziz Unit, part of the Radwan Force and responsible for the western sector of the southern front.
Born in 1965 in the southern town of Haddatha, he joined Hezbollah in 1986 and participated in operations against the Israeli army during the occupation period. His military role later expanded to include fighting alongside Syrian government forces between 2011 and 2016.
After the killing of commander Hassan Mohammad al-Hajj in Syria in 2015, Nasser took command of the Aziz Unit and oversaw operations involving drones, rockets and combined attacks during Hezbollah’s campaign of support for Hamas.
In July 2024, Israel announced it had killed him in a strike targeting his vehicle in Tyre.
Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmad Wahbi: Targeting the most experienced circle
While the assassination of field commanders placed operational pressure on the Radwan Force, targeting leaders involved in planning and training appeared even more sensitive for Hezbollah, as reflected in the killings of Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmad Wahbi.
Aqil, who served as commander of the Radwan Force and was among the founding figures of Hezbollah’s military wing, joined the group in the 1980s before becoming one of its leading military commanders.
His name was linked to sensitive security and military files. The United States accuses him of involvement in the 1983 bombing of the US Embassy in Beirut and the attack on the US Marine barracks the same year. Within Hezbollah, he was a member of the Jihad Council and played a major role in developing the Radwan Force’s military capabilities. He also helped oversee operations in Syria after Hezbollah became involved in the conflict there.
On Sept. 20, 2024, Israel killed him in an airstrike targeting a meeting of Radwan Force commanders that he was chairing in the Jamous area of Beirut’s southern suburbs. Several senior commanders in the unit were also killed in the strike.
Ahmad Wahbi: Architect of training and ambushes
Ahmad Wahbi was regarded as one of the key architects behind the training of Radwan Force fighters. He joined Hezbollah shortly after its founding and took part in operations against the Israeli occupation before being captured by Israel in 1984.
His name later emerged as one of those involved in the 1997 Ansariya ambush targeting Israel’s Shayetet 13 naval commando unit, before he assumed responsibilities related to central training within Hezbollah.
According to the Israeli military, Wahbi had overseen training for the Radwan Force since 2012 and played a pivotal role in developing its manpower and military capabilities. He also assumed additional responsibilities after the killing of Wissam al-Tawil.
In the same strike that killed Ibrahim Aqil in September 2024, Wahbi was killed alongside several Radwan commanders, in what was described as one of the heaviest blows suffered by the force since its establishment.
