Israel conducted a massive airstrike on the highly populated southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday, which resulted in the destruction of a portion of a neighborhood and likely a huge number of civilian casualties.
The strike was intended to eliminate Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who had headed the organization for three decades and transformed it into a formidable adversary.
The strike was the most aggressive action taken by Israel in the past two weeks, during which it conducted elaborate intelligence operations, targeted assassinations, and bombardments to prevent the U.S.-designated terrorist group from attacking across the Lebanese border into Israel.
Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday that Nasrallah had in fact been killed in the strike.
Nasrallah’s death is a devastating blow to the group he commanded, as well as to Iran, its primary supporter, and the network of aligned militias that Tehran has established throughout the Middle East in order to confront Israel.
It is also the most powerful indication to date that Israeli intelligence has infiltrated Hezbollah.
Senior officials from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah were also present at the site, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
Ali Karaki, a Hezbollah commander whom Israel had previously targeted, was also killed in the assault, according to Israel’s military.
The Israeli attack that targeted Nasrallah resulted in the death of Iranian Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan, a deputy commander in the IRGC, according to state TV.
According to individuals with knowledge of the situation, the fate of the remaining individuals was not immediately determined; however, they were also presumed to be deceased.
Israel hoped that his death would considerably weaken the group and prevent the necessity of a ground invasion to suppress Hezbollah’s rocket, missile, and drone attacks across the border.
The sunset strike on Nasrallah marked the commencement of a night in which Israel carried its conflict with Hezbollah to the doorstep of Beirut.
As dawn broke on Saturday, smoke lingered over a significant portion of the southern region of the Lebanese capital.
It is unclear what Israel’s next move may be, but it is rumored that a ground invasion of Lebanon in on the table if Hezbollah refuses to stop bombarding northern Israel.
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