The Israel Defense Forces announced the elimination of a senior Hezbollah commander who was accused of orchestrating the 2007 kidnapping and murder of five American soldiers.

The IDF said they killed Hezbollah terrorist Ali Musa Daqduq was killed Friday in a precise strike in southern Lebanon, south of the Litani River.

«ELIMINATED: Ali Musa Daqduq, a senior Hezbollah commander who held a series of 5 senior positions within Hezbollah,» the IDF hailed on X. «Daqduq played a central role in advancing terrorist attacks and combat operations against Israel and IDF soldiers. In 2007, he orchestrated the kidnapping and murder of 5 American soldiers.»

Israeli officials targeted the veteran Hezbollah operative who held multiple senior roles in the terror organization.

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«His elimination constitutes another significant blow to Hezbollah’s senior chain of command by eliminating one of the most prominent operatives responsible for terrorist activity against Israeli civilians, IDF soldiers, and American servicemembers,» the IDF wrote in a statement.

«The IDF will continue to operate against commanders of the Hezbollah terrorist organization.»

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Daqduq’s roles included commander of the security unit for eliminated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, commander in the Radwan Force, commander in the Operations Department of the Nasser Unit, head of Hezbollah’s Infantry Unit and commander of Hezbollah’s «Golan Terrorist Network,» according to the IDF.

The Golan network was responsible for Hezbollah’s entrenchment in Syria and the establishment of military infrastructure near Israel’s border. The unit’s activities were exposed by Israel in 2019.

«In recent years, he played a central role in advancing terrorist attacks and combat operations against the State of Israel and IDF soldiers,» the IDF said.

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Daqduq also led much of Hezbollah’s operational planning against Israeli troops along the Lebanon border over the past several years, the IDF added.

Daqduq was captured by U.S. forces in Iraq in 2007, but was transferred to Iraqi custody during the U.S. withdrawal in 2011 under former President Barack Obama. Iraqi courts later dismissed charges against him, and Baghdad released him in 2012.

«His elimination constitutes another significant blow to Hezbollah’s senior chain of command by eliminating one of the most prominent operatives responsible for terrorist activity against Israeli civilians, IDF soldiers, and American servicemembers,» the IDF said.

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The announcement came as Israel also carried out strikes Sunday in the Dahieh district of Beirut, targeting what the IDF described as Hezbollah infrastructure.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that the Beirut strikes were ordered in response to Hezbollah fire toward Israeli territory.

«Israel will not tolerate fire into its territory,» they said.

The latest strikes come at a sensitive diplomatic moment, as U.S.-backed efforts continue to finalize a broader regional deal with Iran and President Donald Trump.

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Ali Musa Daqduq, a longtime Hezbollah commander, was killed after years of involvement in the group’s military and terrorist operations, according to Israeli officials. (Israeli Defense Forces; Photo by Ramiz Dallah/Anadolu via Getty Images)

«Bibi should not have done what he did,» Trump told Fox News’ Middle East correspondent Trey Yingst.

He said to Netanyahu: «What the f–k are you doing?»

Trump told Yingst he hopes the deal with Iran will be signed before the night. He will remove the blockade of Iranian ports immediately once it is signed.

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 Trump will ask Iran not to respond with missiles toward Israel.

A diplomat involved in the talks told Fox News 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.

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«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.»

Fox News’ Trey Yingst contributed to this report.

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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released a trove of declassified records detailing U.S. funding of more than 120 biological laboratories across more than 30 countries, arguing the documents validate concerns that were previously dismissed as misinformation.

The release comes years after Gabbard drew criticism for raising concerns about U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion. Critics accused her of echoing Russian narratives, while supporters argued legitimate questions about the labs’ activities and oversight were being unfairly dismissed.

The newly released records include ODNI briefing slides detailing the scope of U.S. involvement in Ukraine’s laboratory network.

DNI TULSI GABBARD PROBES U.S. FUNDING TO MORE THAN 120 BIOLABS AROUND THE WORLD

One document states that more than 40 laboratories in Ukraine received U.S. funding and housed collections of dangerous bacteria and viruses, some dating back to the Soviet era. The records also show Ukrainian scientists received U.S.-funded training to work with hazardous pathogens and participated in a program focused on handling especially dangerous diseases.

The documents list pathogens studied or stored within the laboratory network, including anthrax, tuberculosis, plague, Ebola virus, Marburg virus, MERS and SARS.

Additional records detail U.S.-funded construction and upgrades at laboratories across Ukraine, including facilities in Kherson, Odesa and western Ukraine. The documents identify engineering firm Black & Veatch as a major contractor and show U.S. taxpayers spent between roughly $1.7 million and $3.5 million on individual laboratory projects.

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Newly declassified records released by DNI Tulsi Gabbard reveal details about U.S.-funded biological laboratories around the world, reigniting debate over overseas bioresearch programs. (iStock)

One declassified assessment focuses on a veterinary research laboratory in Kharkiv that received Pentagon funding through the Defense Department’s Biological Threat Reduction Program.

According to the assessment, the facility housed hundreds of samples of dangerous pathogens, including Brucella bacteria, which can cause a disease known as brucellosis. The document warned the lab could become a target of Russian propaganda efforts or be damaged, captured or otherwise compromised during the war.

Another ODNI slide outlines what it describes as a «web of connections» linking Ukrainian laboratories with U.S. government agencies, universities, research organizations and private contractors. The document says U.S. funding supported research on bird flu and other highly infectious viruses in high-security laboratories.

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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard appeared during a House Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats on March 19, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Gabbard said the documents demonstrate that the public was not given a full picture of U.S.-backed biological research programs overseas. Critics, however, maintain the facilities were part of long-running public health and threat-reduction efforts designed to secure dangerous pathogens and prevent biological proliferation rather than operate as biological weapons programs.

The declassification is likely to reignite debate over government transparency, gain-of-function research and the scope of U.S.-funded biological research overseas.