Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed on Friday in an Israeli airstrike targeting an underground bunker in Beirut. The meticulously planned attack, carried out by the Israeli Air Force, involved the collaboration of multiple intelligence agencies and resulted in the death of several senior Hezbollah officials alongside Nasrallah.
The strike took place in southern Beirut and targeted a heavily fortified bunker located over 60 feet underground. Nasrallah and other high-ranking members of the Iran-backed group had gathered to discuss strategies against Israel, amidst mounting pressure from Tehran to avoid immediate retaliatory actions, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
In what is being described as one of the largest strikes on an urban centre in recent history, the Israeli military used nearly 80 tons of explosives, including approximately 85 specialised “bunker-buster” bombs designed to penetrate deep into fortified structures. These munitions, capable of piercing through up to 30 metres of earth or six metres of reinforced concrete, were used to breach the bunker’s defences and ensure the precision of the strike.
“Everything we planned was executed precisely, with no errors, both in intelligence, the planning, with the planes and the operation itself. Everything went smooth,” the commander of the IAF’s 69th Squadron told reporters, as per the Times of Israel.
The bunker-buster bombs weigh between 907 kg and 1,814 kg. The design of bombs traces back to advanced artillery developed during World War II, specifically the Rochling shells.
Israel’s military campaign had intensified, with over 2,000 airstrikes in Lebanon leading up to the attack. The attack also targeted Hezbollah’s military assets, destroying crucial electronic equipment and a cache of missiles. Israeli military officials indicated that months of planning had gone into the operation, with real-time intelligence confirming Nasrallah’s presence in the bunker at the time of the strike. Israeli spokesperson Nadav Shoshani told the WSJ, “We had intelligence that Nasrallah was meeting with senior terrorists, and we acted accordingly.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorised the strike while addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York. During his speech, Netanyahu condemned terrorism and stressed Israel’s commitment to securing its borders. In his first public remarks following the attack, Netanyahu referred to Nasrallah as “the terrorist,” saying, “His removal is essential to achieving our goals.”
The conflict has already displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border. The United Nations reported that over 2,00,000 Lebanese civilians have been displaced in the last week alone, with many more expected to flee as the fighting intensifies.
Israel has vowed to continue its military operations against Hezbollah until the group ceases its attacks.