Smoke rises over the southern Lebanese village of Bint Jbeil near the border as seen from the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, on April 17, 2026. (Credit: Jalaa MAREY / AFP)
BEIRUT — The Israeli army announced the capture of a member of the al-Radwan force, Hezbollah’s elite unit, during an operation in southern Lebanon carried out by the 300th Brigade.
“Yesterday [Wednesday], Israeli forces identified a terrorist from Hezbollah’s al-Radwan unit who was planning an imminent attack. Shortly after being identified, the terrorist surrendered, was arrested, and then transferred to Unit 504 for further questioning,” said a statement by the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, on X. The post was accompanied by a video of the man’s capture, which shows him in the middle of a road as Israeli soldiers move toward him.
According to local sources on Wednesday, a Hezbollah fighter who had been wounded and fled Bint Jbeil later surrendered to the Israeli army after heading toward the still-inhabited Christian villages of Rmeish and Ain Ibl. Israeli broadcaster Kan 11 also reported that a Hezbollah fighter surrendered near Dibil, where the Israeli army has established positions.
Fierce fighting has taken place in Bint Jbeil, a strategic town in the central sector along the southern border. Israeli media have repeatedly reported that dozens of fighters have been “encircled” there. Since the cease-fire, the Israeli army has been destroying entire neighborhoods in the town.
The truce has been strained by these systematic demolitions in the “buffer zone” claimed by Israel, as well as by daily strikes on southern Lebanon. Hezbollah, for its part, has claimed several attacks against Israeli positions in recent days, including one in northern Israel.
Since the start of ground fighting, the Israeli army has said it has captured several Hezbollah militiamen. Hezbollah itself has not reported any losses or captures in its ranks since March 2.
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