House Republicans are appealing directly to President Biden demanding that he take a cognitive test to prove his mental fitness for office.

Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, the former White House physician who served as chief medical adviser to former President Trump, led a letter to the president co-signed by 83 House Republicans, including House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and Chief Deputy Whip Guy Reschenthaler, arguing that the president’s many public ‘gaffes’ are a ‘national security concern.’

‘Following the recent report from Special Counsel Robert Hur, we write to express our grave concerns with your current cognitive state and ability to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, including as Chief Executive, Head of State, and Commander in Chief,’ the lawmakers wrote. ‘The President of the United States must demonstrate sound mental abilities, regardless of gender, age, or political party, which you have not.’

It comes as Biden’s critics continue to seize on a recent report by special counsel Robert Hur regarding the president’s handling of classified documents before he took office. Hur’s 388-page report cleared President Biden of wrongdoing despite having ‘willfully retained and disclosed classified materials.’

Hur said Biden came off ‘as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory’ and that ‘it would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him-by then a former president well into his eighties-of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.’

Biden and his allies have aggressively pushed back on Hur’s assessment and denied his age being an issue.

The GOP lawmakers wrote to him, ‘If you are too mentally impaired to stand trial, as your own Department of Justice claims, then we are concerned that your mental state is not at a competent level to serve as the leader of the free world. Therefore, we call on you to submit to a clinically validated cognitive screening assessment and make those results available to the public.’

This is the fifth such request by Jackson. He said his previous four inquiries went unanswered.

‘This is the fifth time we’ve sent a letter to the White House demanding Biden take a cognitive exam, however while the administration has chosen to ignore each of these requests, it is becoming clearer each day that the President is not cognitively fit,’ Jackson told Fox News Digital in a statement. ‘I am proud to be joined by Conference Chairwoman Stefanik, Chief Deputy Whip Guy Reschenthaler and dozens of my House colleagues in this effort.’

The GOP lawmakers’ letter continued, ‘Over the past three years, your mental decline and forgetfulness has become even more apparent. It is a common occurrence to see you shuffling your feet, stumbling while walking, slurring your words, forgetting names, losing your train of thought, and appearing confused or asleep when making public appearances here at home and on the world stage.’

They pointed out that Biden recently confused French President Emmanuel Macron with a predecessor who died decades prior, and that he also mixed up German leaders’ names and mistakenly referred to the president of Egypt as the president of Mexico.

‘While the prevalence of your ‘gaffes’ continues to increase and creates a serious national security concern, President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party continue to modernize their military at an alarming rate while showing a clear indication of an intent to invade Taiwan in the near future,’ the letter said.

‘Unfortunately, we fear that your perceived cognitive deterioration is inviting Beijing to take this military action, as there is significant doubt surrounding your ability to execute the duties required of the President of the United States and prevent further global conflicts from arising or escalating.’

When asked for comment on Jackson’s public demand on Wednesday that Biden take a cognitive test, the White House sent Fox News Digital an image of Dr. Nick Riviera, a character from ‘The Simpsons’ known for poor medical practices and maiming patients.

The White House sent another image of ‘Dr. Nick’ when reached by Fox News Digital on Friday morning.

Earlier this week, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Biden would not be taking a cognitive test as part of his regular physical exam.

North Korea’s supreme leader has drawn a red line at sea, vowing to fire upon any South Korean vessel that even barely crosses it.

Kim Jong Un reportedly attended the test launch of a new surface-to-air missile on Wednesday, where he told military officials to be prepared for a strike against any South Korean ship that enters North Korea waters from now on.

The supreme leader ‘stressed the need for the DPRK to thoroughly defend the maritime sovereignty by force of arms and actions, not by any rhetoric, statement and public notice,’ according to state-owned and operated news outlet Korean Central News Agency.

DPRK is an abbreviation of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea — the official name of the North Korean nation.

‘He gave important instructions to bolster up military preparedness particularly in the border waters north of Yonphyong Island and Paekryong Island frequently invaded by the enemies’ warships including destroyers, escort ships and speedboats,’ KCNA reported.

The Northern Limit Line (NLL) is the internationally accepted maritime line dividing North Korea and South Korea at sea — this standard border has been challenged by Kim Jong Un’s regime in the past.

Because of Kim Jong Un’s frequent arguments that North Korean waters extend slightly farther to the south of the NLL, the exact parameters of the red line in the supreme leader’s threats are somewhat hard to understand — making the situation even more volatile.

‘What is clear is that when the enemy intrudes into the maritime border recognized by us, we will regard it as an encroachment upon the sovereignty of the DPRK and an armed provocation against it,’ the dictator said.

The threats make more concrete Kim Jong Un’s increasingly specific threats against South Korean officials, military, and civilians in the wake of renewed hostilities.

In a January parliamentary meeting, the dictator told government officials, ‘As the southern border of our country has been clearly drawn, the illegal NLL and any other boundary can never be tolerated, and if the Republic of Korea violates even 0.001 millimeters of our territorial land, air and waters, it will be considered a war provocation.’

North Korea has continued this year its common practice of firing missiles into the ocean area between itself, its southern counterpart, and the islands of Japan.

Republican senators are urging the Biden administration to immediately reverse what they call a ‘racist’ and ‘anti-American’ policy for distributing CHIPS Act grants before it violates the law.

The top Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, Ranking Member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and members Sens. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo, penned a letter exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo about the agency’s guidance stating it would consider the race of an applicant’s suppliers when awarding CHIPS Act funding.

The senators say that policy is a clear violation of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, Title IV, and the Civil Rights Act of 1866.

The guidance requires applicants to document ‘how the applicant intends to address the inclusion of … minority-owned business … through a supplier diversity plan’ with ‘measurable targets,’ including how much money it plans to spend on ‘minority-owned’ suppliers by 2030.

The guidance also explains that the Commerce Department will consider an applicant’s diversity plan as part of the merit review process and access that plan based on the applicant’s strategy for engaging with minority-owned businesses and ‘commitment to tracking and disclosing disaggregated data on supplier diversity and contractor/subcontractor diversity.’

Cruz told Fox News Digital the Biden administration’s decision to ‘dole out CHIPS funding based on the skin color of an applicant’s supply chain is racist and anti-American.’ 

‘I’m calling on the Commerce Department to immediately rescind its unconstitutional policy,’ Cruz said. ‘If it fails to do so, it will most certainly face fierce opposition in the courts.’ 

The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law in 2022 and works to strengthen American manufacturing, supply chains and national security. 

In their letter to Raimondo, the senators warned that the policy is ‘illegal’ and urged the secretary to ‘withdraw it before it causes real harm.’

‘The Department’s Guidance intentionally treats certain applicants worse than others on the ground of the race of their suppliers. Title VI forbids such discrimination,’ they wrote.

‘In addition to instructing the federal government to violate the law, the Guidance also encourages private businesses to discriminate on the basis of race in violation of federal law, specifically Section 1981,’ they continued. ‘Section 1981 makes it illegal for private companies to discriminate on the basis of race when making and enforcing contracts.’

But the senators said the Commerce Department ‘has not yet finalized a grant for any CHIPS funding to any applicants,’ meaning the agency ‘still has time to reverse course before it breaks the law.’

Cruz and his GOP colleagues demanded Raimondo respond to their letter and rescind the Commerce Department’s policy by Feb. 29. If she fails to rescind the policy, Cruz and his colleagues are demanding that she detail ‘the reasons you believe the Guidance does not violate the United States Constitution or Title VI, or induce private parties to violate Section 1981.’ 

The Justice Department defended Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on President Biden saying it was ‘consistent with legal requirements and Department policy’ after the White House sent a pointed letter to the agency.

In the letter, obtained by Fox News, Associate Deputy Attorney General Bradley Weinsheimer defended the Hur report and its release to the public as being ‘consistent’ with the DOJ’s policy, and its legal requirements.

‘Having carefully considered your arguments, the Department concludes that the report as submitted to the Attorney General, and its release, are consistent with legal requirements and Department policy,’ the letter, which was sent to White House Counsel Ed Siskel and Personal Counsel to Joe Biden Bob Bauer, said.

Weinsheimer noted that the fall-out surrounding the release of Hur’s report on the president’s memory was not ‘gratuitous’ or ‘unduly prejudicial.’

‘The identified language is neither gratuitous nor unduly prejudicial because it is not offered to criticize or demean the President,’ the letter noted. ‘Rather, it is offered to explain Special Counsel Hur’s conclusions about the President’s state of mind in possessing and retaining classified information.’

The associate deputy attorney general also pushed back against the White House’s claims that the report ‘inappropriately commented’ on Biden’s conduct with classified documents.

‘Your claim that Special Counsel Hur inappropriately commented on uncharged conduct is misplaced,’ Weinsheimer wrote. ‘As an initial matter, as described above, rather than commenting on uncharged conduct, Special Counsel Hur was applying the evidence he gathered to the applicable law.’

‘Special Counsel Hur’s report provides significant detail on the basis of his declination decisions. This includes factors that support his determination o f whether the President knew he possessed classified information and whether he acted willfully in possessing and retaining it,’ he said.

‘The language to which you object goes directly to these issues,’ Weinsheimer said.

Since Hur’s report, which was released last Thursday, the White House has pushed back against the findings that characterized Biden as an ‘elderly man with a poor memory.’ 

Biden has also been vocal about the report’s findings, lashing out that he ‘did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died.’

‘How the h— dare he raise that,’ Biden yelled during a press conference on Tuesday. ‘Frankly, when I was asked the question, I thought to myself, it wasn’t any of their d— business.’

Two sources later revealed to Fox News that it was Biden who brought up his son’s 2015 death-not Hur.

‘We conclude that no criminal charges are warranted in this matter,’ the report, released Thursday, states. ‘We would reach the same conclusion even if the Department of Justice policy did not foreclose criminal charges against a sitting president.’

The White House and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News’ David Spunt and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said he’d pick Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, or former Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman as potential running mates in a hypothetical third-party presidential run.

‘Hypothetically, if I was picking my running mate… really, who I would ask right now is Mitt Romney,’ Manchin said Thursday at the City Club of Cleveland breakfast forum. 

‘Maybe Rob Portman would be right there, too,’ Manchin added. ‘Rob is a dear friend of mine. What a good man, what a good man.’

City Club CEO Dan Moulthrop moderated the forum, which had roughly 150 people in attendance, and repeatedly probed Manchin on whether he would jump in the race. 

‘Guys, listen, I’m not running for anything,’ Manchin said. ‘I’m basically running to try to get people involved.’

Manchin’s comments come as he has been flirting with a third-party presidential bid in recent months, with his two-month ‘listening tour’ sparking even more speculation that he will throw his hat in the ring. Both Manchin and Romney announced last year they would not seek re-election to the Senate in 2024. 

The West Virginia Democrat has positioned himself as a centrist politically compared to his more progressive colleagues in the Senate and has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with both President Biden and former President Donald Trump.

Manchin’s daughter, Heather, started a nonprofit last summer called ‘Americans Together,’ aiming to unite the country’s moderate voters away from the ‘extremes’ of the left and right. If Manchin does announce a presidential run, he’ll likely use the nonprofit to bolster his campaign.

‘We stand against extremism in politics. It has taken over our political system and taken away our voice,’ the Americans Together campaign website states. ‘As proud Americans, we agree on more than we disagree. We demand that our politicians put country before party to get things done. Enough is enough.’

Manchin has previously said he would decide after Super Tuesday — when multiple states hold their primary elections or caucuses simultaneously, making it a significant day for candidates to secure delegates — on March 5. 

‘Super Tuesday pretty much confirms whatever is going to happen, what we believe will happen, and we’ll see where we go from there,’ Manchin told reporters on the day of the New Hampshire primary.

Fox News Digital reached out to Romney and Portman for comment. 

The move by a New York judge to set a March 25 trial date in former President Donald Trump’s hush money case is giving Republican presidential rival Nikki Haley more ammunition.

‘Donald Trump is in court today. There will be a verdict on another case tomorrow. And he has a trial starting March 25. Meanwhile, he’s spending millions of campaign donations on legal fees. All of this chaos will only lead to more losses for Republicans up and down the ticket,’ Haley argued Thursday in a social media post.

Haley, a former two-term South Carolina governor who later served as U.N. ambassador in the Trump administration, is the last remaining major rival challenging Trump for the GOP nomination. But she faces a steep uphill climb against Trump, who remains the commanding frontrunner in the 2024 Republican presidential race.

Haley’s comments came soon after a New York City judge denied Trump’s request to dismiss the indictment.

The former president faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in New York in connection with alleged hush money payments to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels made during the 2016 presidential campaign. 

Prosecutors argue the payments were an effort by Trump to hide a potential sex scandal, both before and after the 2016 election. The former president has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which were brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is a Democrat.

The ruling sets up the first criminal trial of a former president in the nation’s history.

As he entered the courtroom, Trump claimed, ‘I’m here for something, it’s not a crime, it’s election interference and it’s being run by Joe Biden’s White House,’ 

And he reiterated that it’s a ‘terrible time for our country. A real dark period.’ 

Trump faces four trials this year, including two on charges he aimed to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Biden.

Haley, pointing in part to Trump’s legal entanglements, has repeatedly charged that Trump is ‘unhinged’ and argued that ‘chaos’ will follow if he returns to the White House. And she has regularly highlighted general election polls that suggest she’s a stronger GOP nominee than Trump to take on Biden in November.

The judge in the hush money case, Juan Merchan, said the trial could last five to six weeks, with a possible ending in late April or early May. 

Trump said ahead of Thursday’s ruling that he should be out campaigning instead of in court. 

When pressed on when he will campaign during the trial, Trump replied: ‘I’ll do it in the evening.’ 

An attorney for Hunter Biden’s ex-business associate Tony Bobulinski accused House Democrats of ‘abusive conduct and disingenuous mischaracterizations’ of his testimony on the Biden family’s business dealings. 

In a letter to Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the ranking member and lead Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Bobulinski’s counsel Stefan Passantino asserted that Democrats were attempting to assassinate his client’s character. 

‘We are watching the death throes of a political narrative that will be shattered upon the imminent public release of Mr. Bobulinski’s testimony before the House Committees on Oversight and Judiciary yesterday,’ Passantino wrote. 

‘The facts are before Congress and will soon be before the American people. Minority assassination of Mr. Bobulinski’s character and grotesque mischaracterizations of his words will only serve to highlight the gaslighting and vilification Mr. Bobulinski has endured since he reluctantly came forward almost four years ago to share with the public the facts of his business experience with the Biden family,’ the letter continues. 

‘As the public will see soon enough, Mr. Bobulinski has the facts and the receipts, and no amount of character assassination will change that.’

Bobulinski testified behind closed doors for more than eight hours on Tuesday as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden. He is one of the Republicans’ star witnesses, having worked with Hunter Biden to create the joint-venture SinoHawk Holdings with Chinese energy company CEFC. 

READ THE LETTER BELOW. APP USERS: CLICK HERE

Behind closed doors, sources said Bobulinski told the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees that he had ‘personally met’ with Joe Biden in May 2017 in Los Angeles on the sidelines of the Milken Conference for somewhere between 45 minutes and an hour. 

Fox News Digital first reported on that meetings between Bobulinski and Biden in October 2020.

Joe Biden, on May 3, 2017, spoke at the conference, hosting ‘A Conversation with the 47th Vice President of the United States Joe Biden.’

Just days after the May 2, 2017, meeting came the now-infamous May 13, 2017, email, which included a discussion of ‘remuneration packages’ for six people in a business deal with a Chinese energy firm. The email appeared to identify Biden as ‘Chair / Vice Chair depending on agreement with CEFC,’ in a reference to the now-bankrupt CEFC China Energy Co.

The email includes a note that ‘Hunter has some office expectations he will elaborate.’ A proposed equity split references ’20’ for ‘H’ and ’10 held by H for the big guy?’ with no further details.

Bobulinski testified Tuesday that Joe Biden is ‘the big guy,’ a claim he has made since 2020. IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, who claimed that politics had influenced the yearslong federal investigation into Hunter Biden, have also said ‘the big guy’ was known to be Joe Biden.

Bobulinski claims that Joe Biden was ‘the Brand’ sold by Hunter Biden and other family members as part of a ‘foreign influence peddling operation.’ 

President Biden has repeatedly denied any involvement in his son Hunter’s business dealings. House Democrats have rallied behind the president, with Raskin claiming that Bobulinski ‘offers absolutely no testimony that indicates any criminal activity by President Biden… or evidence that President Biden was involved in Hunter Biden’s businesses.’

In the letter, Passantino said Raskin’s statement is ‘categorically false’ and pushed back against other claims made by House Democrats, insisting that a soon-to-be-released transcript of Bobulinski’s testimony will prove them wrong. 

‘Equally concerning are the false allegations impugning Mr. Bobulinski’s character and statements about law enforcement. Unlike those making these accusations, Mr. Bobulinski has a proud and exemplary history of serving this country in the military and his patriotism cannot be questioned,’ Passantino wrote.

‘As the transcript will show, Mr. Bobulinski did NOT accuse the FBI of lying about his voluntary statements before them in October 2020. The transcript will show that when Mr. Bobulinski was asked by the Minority about second-hand accounts of his words rather than asking him direct questions, Mr. Bobulinski simply corrected errors in the FBI’s internal 302 report about his statements.’

‘As Mr. Bobulinski testified yesterday, these errors could have been corrected years ago if Mr. Bobulinski had been shown the FBI’s internal summary or if ANY government agency had reached out to us at the time,’ the letter states.

Reached for comment, a spokesperson for House Oversight Democrats pointed to several statements from committee members questioning Bobulinski’s credibility as a witness. Democrats have urged the committee to release the transcript of his testimony after Oversight Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., accused them of ‘witness intimidation.’ 

‘Let’s read between the lines here: we asked questions on the very real credibility issues with your witness,’ Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, posted on X. ‘If his claims can’t stand up to the most basic scrutiny, that’s on you.’ 

‘Hey Chairman Comer. You invited a sham witness and we asked basic questions — his lack of credibility is on you! Why not release the transcript?’ posted Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif. 

President BIden’s brother, Jim Biden, will be the next witness to testify to the committee as part of the impeachment inquiry on Wednesday. Hunter Biden is expected to appear for his deposition on Feb. 28.

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

The European Union (EU) will look to impose sanctions on Chinese companies guilty of assisting Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, which Beijing has blasted as ‘illegal sanctions.’ 

‘We are aware of the relevant reports,’ China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a statement. ‘China firmly opposes illegal sanctions or ‘long-arm jurisdiction’ against China on the grounds of cooperation between China and Russia.’

‘Chinese and Russian enterprises carry out normal exchanges and cooperation and do not target third parties, nor should they be interfered with or influenced by third parties,’ the ministry insisted, adding that the government will ‘take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.’ 

European officials have pushed for harder sanctions against Chinese companies, with proposals to apply the strictest punishments against around two dozen companies that allegedly have assisted Russia since it commenced the invasion of Ukraine. 

‘Russia is straining every sinew to get around our sanctions, but we need to do more,’ one source told The Guardian regarding the push. ‘We need to shut down loopholes, target circumvention routes, drive down revenues further.’

China has faced accusations since the start of the invasion of serving as backdoor access for Russia to resist the immense strain of sanctions from the U.S. and Europe: Beijing in February 2022 agreed to buy 100 million tons of coal from Moscow, effectively providing a lifeline to Russia. 

Politico reported that a think tank’s sanctions team found that companies in China and Hong Kong now play the role of the ‘most important intermediaries’ for the shipment of battlefield technology to Russia – all subject to Western sanctions. 

Some European member states, such as Germany, have urged against going after third countries who help Russia, but the new proposal would only sanction particular companies rather than the countries in which the companies reside. 

The E.U. in the latest proposal will look particularly at where Russia sources technology, allegedly often acquiring it from ally nations who have bought it from countries like China. The sanctions would also hit companies based in Turkey, India, Thailand and Sri Lanka. 

The companies acquire the parts needed for Russia to produce drones, tanks and guided missiles, including microelectronics and ball bearings produced in E.U. member states, and then sell them to countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Kazakhstan and China, who then sell them on to Russia. 

Should the proposal pass, it would present another step in the increasingly fragile relations between China and Europe. E.U. members supported a plan proposed in the summer of 2023 that would seek to source vital minerals and resources from non-Chinese sources. In response, Beijing canceled a summit with European officials. 

China and Russia have pledged to maintain their ‘no-limits partnership’ and ‘close personal interaction’ ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s planned trip to Beijing later this year, Voice of America reported. 

‘Putin’s visit to China [this year] will definitely take place, [and] China looks forward to his arrival,’ Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui told Russian state media outlet Sputnik last week. 

On a February 8 call, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping praised their cooperation in various sectors while slamming ‘U.S. interference in other countries’ affairs.’ 

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is urging the Department of Defense (DOD) to share information about the agency’s contract with a Chinese-owned financial corporation that provides tutoring services for U.S. military families. 

On Thursday, Cotton sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin calling the business relationship with Hong Kong-based Primavera Capital Group ‘ill advised, reckless,’ and a danger to U.S. national security. 

Primavera, the capital group associated with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, owns the tutoring service Tutor.com and has provided critical funding to the TikTok giant. 

‘We should not be giving the Chinese communists access to the data of United States servicemembers and their families,’ Cotton, a member of the Senate’s intelligence committee, told Fox News Digital in a statement. ‘I look forward to a full explanation from the Department of Defense on their continued use of Tutor.com.’

Like ByteDance and any other Chinese tech company, Primavera is subject to Chinese national security laws which require tech companies to release confidential business and customer data. Primavera acquired Tutor.com in January 2022. 

‘While providing educational services, Tutor.com collects personal data on users, such as location, internet protocol addresses, and contents of the tutoring sessions,’ Cotton wrote. ‘As Chinese national security laws require companies to release confidential business and customer data to the Chinese government, we are paying to expose our military and their children’s private information to the Chinese Communist Party.’

By next week, Cotton is urging the DOD to provide information regarding whether they participated in any security reviews concerning Primavera’s acquisition before its approval, and if so, whether any concerns were raised during this process. 

Cotton also sought clarification on whether an internal review has been conducted to determine the continuation of the business relationship with Tutor.com, and if such a review has not taken place, an explanation is requested. Additionally, Cotton wants statistics on the annual usage of Tutor.com by military personnel or their dependents, and whether users are informed that their data may be shared with a Chinese company.

Cotton has previously called for a nationwide ban on TikTok, saying last month that the CEO is ‘lying’ about the app being safe for users. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the DOD for comment. 

The Israeli military said it killed a senior Hezbollah commander in a strike carried out in Lebanon as the terror group vows retaliation.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Thursday that an overnight airstrike targeting a ‘Hezbollah military structure’ in Nabatieh killed Ali Muhammad Aldbas, a senior commander of the Radwan forces. His deputy commander, Ibrahim Issa, and an additional terrorist were killed in the attack, according to IDF.

‘Aldbas was amongst those who directed the terrorist attack at the Megiddo Junction in Israel in March 2023. He led, planned, and carried out terrorist activity toward the State of Israel, especially during this war,’ the IDF said. 

The Radwan Force is a special operation forces unit of Hezbollah specifically tasked with infiltrating and carrying out attacks in northern Israel. 

Hezbollah on Thursday said Israel would pay ‘the price’ for killing 10 people, including five children, in southern Lebanon in a separate airstrike the day before.

‘The enemy will pay the price for these crimes,’ Hezbollah politician Hassan Fadlallah told Reuters. ‘The resistance will continue to practice its legitimate right to defend its people.’

Several of the armed Lebanese group’s fighters were also killed in separate strikes on Wednesday, including on Nabatieh, Reuters reported, citing Hezbollah officials and security sources. 

The strikes came in response to a rocket barrage that struck several northern Israeli communities on Wednesday morning. One of those injured remains in serious condition, another received significant injuries and six others were lightly injured, according to local officials.

Hezbollah’s rockets struck the Kibbutz Manara, Moshav Netu’a, as well as a military base, all in northern Israel.

The exchange of fire comes after Israel has repeatedly warned Hezbollah that a full-scale war with Israel remains on the table.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari addressed Hezbollah earlier in February, saying that Israel will be ‘ready to attack immediately’ if provoked, but said they do not wish for outright war.

‘We do not choose war as our first priority, but we are certainly prepared,’ Hagari said.’We will continue to act wherever Hezbollah is present, we will continue to act wherever it is required in the Middle East. What is true for Lebanon is true for Syria, and is true for other more distant places.’

Hezbollah has been waging near daily attacks on Israeli targets at the border since its Palestinian ally Hamas stormed Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and abducting some 250, according to Israeli tallies.

Hezbollah has said its campaign will stop only when Israel halts its offensive in the Gaza Strip, where more than 28,000 people have been killed, according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza.

Both sides have said they want to avoid full-scale conflict, which would force Israel into a two-front war against Hamas to its south and Hezbollah to the north. 

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.