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The al-Radwan Elite Unit, Lebanese Hezbollah special forces which makes Israel nervous. Photo/alwaght.net
TEL AVIV – After the spectacular attack by Hamas special forces on October 7 into southern Israel which sparked the current massive war in Gaza, Zionist officials are busy discussing the al-Radwan Elite Unit – the Lebanese Hezbollah special forces.
Israeli officials, as reported by Hebrew-language media, are worried that the al-Radwan Elite Unit will repeat the success of the October 7 attack by Nukhba (Hamas special forces) which killed around 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped hundreds more.
Israeli media, quoted by Lorient Today, Sunday (11/19/2023), estimates that the al-Radwan Elite Unit consists of 2,500 trained militiamen. Their training is believed to be provided by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Hezbollah’s special forces showcased military exercises to the press in May 2023 in southern Lebanon, simulating infiltration of Israeli territory and displaying impressive military arsenal.
The current leader of the al-Radwan Elite Unit, Haytham Ali Tabatabai, was put on the United States (US) wanted list in 2016. He was declared a terrorist.
Currently, the al-Radwan Elite Unit is reportedly taking part, along with other Hezbollah units, in Hezbollah-led attacks on the Lebanon-Israel border.
In recent months, Israeli authorities have repeatedly expressed concerns about Hezbollah’s missile and drone capabilities, and after recent military exercises on the eve of the anniversary of the liberation of southern Lebanon, Tel Aviv changed its view about the Iranian-allied group’s capabilities.
Radwan’s Elite Unit is so bad for Israel that Military Commander Herzi Halevi in his statement aimed at reassuring citizens that Tel Aviv is not afraid of this force said that its power should not be exaggerated, but he implied to top officials how strong the unit and its military must be develop tactics to deal with it.
He ordered the armed forces to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the units so they could deal with them in the event of a future conflict.