On Friday, the Israeli military launched a massive ‘bunker-busting’ airstrike targeting Hezbollah’s main headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs. The attack caused massive explosions that rocked the Lebanese capital, sending thick clouds of smoke into the sky. At least two people were killed and dozens were wounded, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, with many buildings reduced to rubble.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reportedly targeted Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. While Hezbollah sources told Reuters that Nasrallah is alive, Israeli officials suggest that Nasrallah was likely present during the attack, and the chances of anyone in the compound surviving are slim.
The Iranian-linked Tasnim News Agency, which initially claimed Nasrallah was alive, has since retracted this statement and now says they cannot confirm his status. A senior U.S. official reported that Israel targeted Nasrallah with bunker-buster munitions designed to penetrate underground targets and that they informed the U.S. less than an hour before the strike. However, the Pentagon has stated that the United States had “no advance warning” of Israel’s decapitation strike against Hezbollah in Beirut.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was speaking at the United Nations just before the attack, called on Lebanon not to be dragged into conflict by Nasrallah, emphasizing that Israel’s fight is against the group and not Lebanon. He is returning to Israel sooner than planned following the developments. Nasrallah’s fate remains unclear at this time.
Israeli officials also believe that Ali Karaki, the Commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front who survived an earlier assassination attempt this week in Beirut, was in the Hezbollah command bunker during the recent strike, along with several members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The strike hit the Haret Hreik neighborhood, a known stronghold of Hezbollah. Israel’s military claimed it was a “precise strike” aimed at Hezbollah’s main command center, which they said was hidden beneath residential buildings. This attack was one of the biggest in Beirut since the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with at least ten explosions rocking the area. Ambulances rushed to help, and rescue teams dug through rubble trying to find survivors. Large craters were left behind, and the impact was so strong that windows rattled across the city, even miles away.
Iran, which supports Hezbollah, quickly condemned the attack. The Iranian embassy in Beirut stated that this strike “changes the rules of the game” and warned that Israel would be “punished” for its actions.
This strike wasn’t a one-off event. Israel has been increasing its attacks on Hezbollah targets in recent weeks, with Friday’s strike being the most intense so far. Just last week, Israel hit the southern suburbs of Beirut multiple times, killing several senior Hezbollah commanders.
The attack has taken a toll on Lebanon, a country already struggling with political and economic crises. At least four residential buildings were destroyed, and the Lebanese Civil Defense has been working around the clock to find more victims. The overall death toll from recent Israeli strikes in Lebanon has risen to over 720 this week, with more than 118,000 people displaced, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who is in New York for the UN General Assembly, criticized the attack, saying it shows that Israel isn’t interested in peace efforts.
Israel continued its strikes late into Friday night, with news channels broadcasting live footage of fires and explosions across southern Lebanon and Beirut. Images circulating on social media showed ammunition cook-offs and additional strikes.
