IDF Kills Hezbollah Commander Accused of Orchestrating 2007 Murder of 5 U.S. Soldiers
The Israel Defense Forces announced on Friday that they had eliminated a senior Hezbollah commander accused of orchestrating the 2007 abduction and murder of five American soldiers, marking one of the most significant removals of a veteran Hezbollah figure in recent months.
Ali Musa Daqduq was killed in a precision strike in southern Lebanon, south of the Litani River, the IDF said. The military described him as a longtime operative who held at least five senior positions within Hezbollah, including commander of the security unit for former leader Hassan Nasrallah, a role in the elite Radwan Force, and leadership of what the IDF called the “Golan Terrorist Network.”
“Daqduq played a central role in advancing terrorist attacks and combat operations against Israel and IDF soldiers,” the IDF posted on X. “In 2007, he orchestrated the kidnapping and murder of 5 American soldiers.”
The killing comes at a delicate diplomatic moment. Israeli forces also carried out strikes in the Dahieh district of Beirut on Sunday, targeting what they described as Hezbollah infrastructure, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that the strikes were a response to Hezbollah fire toward Israeli territory.
Daqduq’s history with the United States is a particularly sensitive flashpoint. He was captured by U.S. forces in Iraq in 2007, but was transferred to Iraqi custody during the American withdrawal in 2011 under former President Barack Obama. Iraqi courts later dismissed charges against him, and he was released in 2012 — a decision that has been sharply criticized by U.S. officials and families of the slain soldiers.
“His elimination constitutes another significant blow to Hezbollah’s senior chain of command,” the IDF said in a statement, adding that Daqduq was “one of the most prominent operatives responsible for terrorist activity against Israeli civilians, IDF soldiers, and American servicemembers.”
The broader context of the strikes adds layers of complexity. U.S.-backed diplomatic efforts are underway to finalize a regional deal with Iran, and President Donald Trump has publicly clashed with Netanyahu over the timing and scope of Israeli military operations. Trump told Fox News’ Middle East correspondent Trey Yingst that he had questioned Netanyahu’s actions, saying, “What the f--k are you doing?” and expressed hope that a deal with Iran could be signed quickly, asking Tehran not to retaliate with missiles.
A diplomat involved in the talks told Fox News that the Beirut strikes were complicating those efforts. “The strikes today in Beirut are creating issues with finalizing the deal,” the diplomat said. “This is a clear attempt by Israel to sabotage the president’s deal and drag the United States back into war.”
A senior Israeli official rejected that characterization, telling Fox News that Israel was responding to Hezbollah attacks. “We reject the notion that Israel is to blame for the exchange of fire,” the official said. “Hezbollah attacks have targeted Israeli civilians the past three days.”
Daqduq’s death removes a figure who, according to IDF assessments, had been central to Hezbollah’s operational planning along the Lebanon border for years, including commanding units responsible for embedding fighters in Syria and building military infrastructure near Israel’s northern frontier. His network’s activities were first exposed by Israel in 2019.
Fox News’ Trey Yingst contributed to this report.