Israeli intelligence sources are reporting substantial casualties within Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit over the past year. The Radwan force, believed to consist of thousands of highly trained fighters, reportedly lost over 1,000 operatives during the ongoing conflict, according to the latest assessments.
Israeli intel also suggests that the Radwan unit has lost a substation number of its commanding officers, Ynet reported.
The IDF estimates that hundreds of Radwan members were killed in precision strikes in southern Lebanon during the conflict. This week, a series of explosions targeting electronic devices in Lebanon and Syria apparently claimed the lives of many more operatives.
This assessment aligns with reports from Kan News that two-way radios blowing up in Lebanon on Wednesday were intended for Hezbollah field operatives, including members of the Radwan force.
Veteran Arab affairs journalist Ehud Ya’ari claimed that Hezbollah’s casualty toll in the mass attack this week is much higher than reported. Speaking on Channel 12 News, Ya’ari said that many of Hezbollah’s commanders are out of action due to injuries sustained in the recent explosions.
Reports from Lebanon indicate that many of the wounded suffered eye and hand injuries.
Radwan’s strategic role
Even before these latest developments, the IDF had ramped up targeted strikes in southern Lebanon, focusing on both junior and senior Radwan operatives. The unit has been a key target due to its strategic role in Hezbollah’s military operations.
According to earlier reports, Israel’s war plans for Lebanon included a special emphasis on neutralizing Radwan. The IDF reportedly planned a rapid assault to dismantle the elite unit, drawing lessons from the Ukraine war and opting for swift raids over large-scale movements by slow-moving troops.
Originally, Radwan operatives were positioned to lead cross-border raids into Israel, targeting towns and military bases. However, the intensity of Israeli strikes forced most of these fighters to withdraw from the border area, with only hundreds remaining in place.
Despite these setbacks, IDF officers recently warned that the threat of a Hezbollah raid into Israel persists, Walla News reported. They cautioned that Radwan retains the capability to stage attacks in Israeli territory, and that Hezbollah forces and surveillance assets are still deployed in the border area, despite suffering heavy casualties.
At this point, the full impact of Hezbollah’s latest losses remains unclear. However, as the conflict continues to evolve, a gravely weakened Radwan unit could significantly undermine Hezbollah’s military capabilities.
