An article by the Alma Research and Education Center states that: “At the moment, the IDF operations have effectively reduced the risk of ground infiltration by the Radwan unit in its intended form. Furthermore, we believe that the probability of executing a more limited-scale infiltration plan is equally minimal (involving “only” a few dozen or hundreds of operatives within a limited geographical area).
In response to the Alma article of October 8, the Radwan units posted a video online showing the operational capabilities of the units.
This Hezbollah unit is the most militarily prepared, the “best” and the youngest are included. There is no question of nationality but a question of shared intent and enemy: Israel. And for this reason they are among the most feared by the IDF and the Shin Bet.
Also in the Alma article we read: “We believe that the two guidelines above no longer constitute a clear and present danger. At the same time, it is important to recognize the potential for limited infiltration by small teams of individual operatives in the entire sector. This option will always persist”.
Also according to the article of the research center Israeli: “Since the start of the war, the IDF has focused on undermining the capabilities and infrastructure of the Radwan unit, resulting in the elimination of 31 senior members, including the unit’s acting commander Wassam al-Tawil and his successors. Those eliminated included high-ranking individuals in both field and staff roles: nine regional commanders (equivalent to brigade commanders), senior and operational commanders, as well as senior officials within the unit’s headquarters and missile and rocket array.”
It continues: “On September 20, 2024, in a precision airstrike on Dahiyeh in Beirut, the IDF eliminated Ibrahim Aqil, Hezbollah’s operations chief, to whom the Radwan force is subject. The attack occurred while Aqil was engaged in a conference with the Radwan unit’s leaders. Fifteen key leaders within the Radwan command structure were eliminated in this attack”.
According to the Research Center: “The Radwan force’s primary objective is to attack Israel and conquer the Galilee. Within the organizational structure, one can observe commanders responsible for designated attack zones, who were tasked with orchestrating the incursion into the Galilee through six distinct regions: the coastal area, Qana, Bint Jbeil, Hajir, al-Khiam and Har Dov”.
This, however, contrasts with the legacy left by Hassan Narsallah who asked his units to “wear down” Israel. That is, before moving on to any conquest project, the task of Hezbollah and its allies, including the Radwan, is to wear down the enemy. In this perspective we can fit the ambushes, the ambushes, the minefields and the IEDs that the Israeli military are finding in their attempt to penetrate Lebanese territory.
In a year of war, observing – via social media – these armed units of Hezbollah, the “regional” “provincial” “municipal” division seemed to us more of a defense than an offense. In the sense that, it was known who was responsible for doing what and when, a sort of replica of regional battalions of Europe in the last century. And if this were confirmed, eliminating the leaders will not lead to the solution of the problem, they will continue. Doing what the unit is designed to do, given that geographically the unit has certain tasks. Israel certainly did not give these units the opportunity to take the initiative, and this has limited their capabilities but we cannot expect a short-term operation in Lebanon.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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