Israeli airstrikes target Hezbollah leader, headquarters, cause multiple explosions in Beirut

Israeli airstrikes target Hezbollah leader, headquarters, cause multiple explosions in Beirut

Beirut’s Dahiyeh suburb was rocked by multiple explosions Friday evening following a targeted Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah’s central headquarters.

The attack, part of Israel’s ongoing efforts against Hezbollah leadership, struck a building believed to house the militant group’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. His fate remains unconfirmed.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the headquarters, which was constructed beneath residential buildings, was hit in what Israeli officials described as a critical strike.

“Anyone in the Hezbollah headquarters will not get out alive,” a senior Israeli security official told army radio, noting the extensive destruction in Dahiyeh.

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Ambulances were dispatched to the scene as Lebanon’s emergency services responded to the devastating attack. Despite the heavy damage, Reuters reported that Nasrallah survived, citing a source close to Hezbollah. Iranian news agency Tasnim and a Hezbollah official also stated that Nasrallah was alive.

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari stated the strategic importance of the target, explaining that Hezbollah intentionally built its central headquarters under residential buildings as part of its tactic of using civilians as human shields. He described the building as a hub for Hezbollah’s terror activities.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant monitored the strike from the Israel Air Force command center, alongside Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in New York at the time, cut his trip short to return to Israel after authorizing the operation.

The U.S. Department of Defense later clarified that it had not been informed of the strike in advance. President Joe Biden also stated he was unaware of the operation before it took place.

Hezbollah’s affiliate Al Manar TV reported additional Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut, which are known as Hezbollah strongholds.

The recent escalation follows last week’s Israeli strikes, which killed 16 Hezbollah commanders, including Ibrahim Aqil and drone unit chief Muhammad Hossein Sarur.

Following the latest airstrikes, ambulances and civil defense vehicles responded to multiple buildings damaged by the explosions, with reports of significant devastation across the southern suburbs of Beirut.