The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) released a statement on Saturday (August 15) announcing a successful precision airstrike in southern Lebanon targeting the elite “Radwan Force” commander Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan. The IDF accused the commander of using his own family as human shields while hiding in a military headquarters. The nighttime airstrike was a direct response to Hezbollah’s violation of the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, according to the Israeli military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
In previous attacks by Hezbollah within the Israeli security zone, including the area of Mount Ali Taher, three Israeli soldiers were seriously injured. In response to these attacks and to eliminate the threat posed by the organization, the IDF conducted airstrikes on Hezbollah’s central headquarters in the Ansar area of southern Lebanon. Apart from eliminating Hassan, several Hezbollah members planning terrorist actions against Israeli forces were also killed in the operation.
The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health reported a total of 9 fatalities in the Ansar area due to the airstrikes, including 3 children and 2 women. The IDF confirmed that Hassan’s family members were indeed present at the military headquarters and were affected by the airstrike, although they were not the intended targets. The IDF emphasized that Hassan, as a legitimate military target under international law, deliberately used his family as human shields while hiding in the military base.
The Prime Minister’s Office of Israel further condemned Hezbollah’s deliberate placement of civilians in military compounds, using their own people, including women and children, as human shields in an attempt to fabricate allegations of Israeli targeting civilians intentionally after facing retaliation.
Regarding Hezbollah’s attacks and human shield tactics, the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, condemned Iran’s proxy organization as “pure evil.” Huckabee pointed out that Hezbollah, despite knowing the consequences, harmed Israeli soldiers and intentionally placed children in military areas, putting them in danger. He emphasized the similarity of these tactics to those used by Hamas in Gaza.
The Israeli Defense Forces reiterated their commitment to taking all necessary actions to eliminate security threats and prevent terrorist organizations from harming Israeli citizens and troops.