Israeli Air Force Strikes Hezbollah Radwan Force Sites in Eastern Lebanon

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – The Israeli Air Force carried out a series of airstrikes Thursday in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, targeting eight military compounds belonging to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The IDF said the sites near Baalbek were used to store rockets and other weapons, train operatives, and plan attacks against Israeli troops and civilians. Military officials described Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm as a violation of the November 2024 U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

The Radwan Force, long tasked with executing Hezbollah’s “Conquer the Galilee” invasion plan, had trained for years to seize Israeli communities along the northern border. Israeli officials say Hamas modeled aspects of its October 7, 2023 cross-border assault on similar tactics.

Since the ceasefire took effect, Israel says it has eliminated more than 400 Hezbollah operatives and members of allied terror groups, accusing the Iran-backed organization of attempting to rebuild its military infrastructure. In recent weeks, the IDF has intensified strikes on weapons depots, missile launchers, and observation posts across southern and eastern Lebanon.

Tensions remain high as Israeli officials assess the possibility that Hezbollah could join Iran in a broader regional conflict if war erupts between Washington and Tehran. Lebanese sources cited by regional media have reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is exerting increased operational control over Hezbollah, though a Hezbollah official told AFP the group would not intervene if the United States launches only a limited strike on Iran.

The November 2024 truce ended more than a year of cross-border fighting that displaced some 60,000 residents of northern Israel. Under the agreement, both sides were to withdraw from southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese Armed Forces assuming control. Israel has pulled back from most positions but maintains a limited presence at five strategic posts along the frontier.

Lebanon’s government has pledged to disarm Hezbollah under the ceasefire framework, but the group has so far refused, remaining under mounting internal and international pressure.

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