Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed on Friday in an Israeli airstrike targeting a bunker in Beirut. The carefully planned attack, carried out by the Israeli Air Force, involved the cooperation of multiple intelligence agencies and resulted in the deaths of Nasrallah and several senior Hezbollah officials.
The attack took place in southern Beirut and targeted a heavily fortified bunker located more than 60 feet underground. The Wall Street Journal reported that Nasrallah and other senior officials from Iran-backed groups met to discuss strategy against Israel amid mounting pressure from Tehran to avoid immediate retaliation.
In what is said to be one of the largest attacks on urban centers in recent history, Israeli forces fired around 85 specialized “bunker busters” designed to penetrate deep into fortified structures. Approximately 80 tons of explosives were used, including bombs. These ammunition can penetrate up to 30 meters of ground or 6 meters of reinforced concrete and were used to break through the bunker defenses and ensure the accuracy of attacks.
“Everything we had planned was carried out precisely, without any mistakes, in the intelligence operations, the plans, the planes and the operation itself. Everything was fine,” the IAF The commander of 69 Squadron told reporters.
Bunker buster bombs weigh between 907 kg and 1,814 kg. The bomb’s design dates back to advanced artillery developed during World War II, specifically the Röchling shell.
Israel’s military operations intensified, with more than 2,000 airstrikes carried out in Lebanon ahead of the attack. The attack also targeted Hezbollah’s military assets, destroying critical electronic equipment and missile storage. Israeli military officials have suggested that the operation took months of planning and that real-time intelligence confirmed that Mr. Nasrallah was in the bunker at the time of the attack. Israeli Spokesman Nadav Shoshani told the Journal: “We received information that Nasrallah was meeting with senior terrorists and acted accordingly.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, authorized the attack. In his speech, Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned terrorism and emphasized Israel’s commitment to border security. In his first public remarks since the attack, Prime Minister Netanyahu called Nasrallah a “terrorist” and said “his removal is essential to achieving our goals.”
The conflict has already displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border. More than 200,000 Lebanese civilians have been evacuated in the last week alone, and many more are expected to flee as fighting intensifies, according to a UN report.
Israel has vowed to continue military operations against Hezbollah until it ceases attacks.