Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed on Friday in an Israeli airstrike targeting an underground bunker in Beirut. The carefully planned attack by the Israeli Air Force involved the cooperation of multiple intelligence agencies and resulted in the death of Nasrallah as well as several senior Hezbollah officials.
The attack took place in southern Beirut and targeted a heavily fortified bunker located 60 feet below. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Nasrallah and other high-ranking members of the Iran-backed group had gathered to discuss strategies against Israel amid growing pressure from Tehran to avoid immediate retaliation.
In what is being described as one of the largest attacks on an urban center in recent history, Israeli forces used approximately 80 tons of explosives, including approximately 85 special “bunker-buster” bombs that were detonated in fortified structures. Designed to penetrate deeply. Capable of penetrating 30 meters of earth or six meters of reinforced concrete, these weapons were used to breach bunker defenses and ensure attack accuracy.
“Whatever we planned was executed with precision, without any errors, both in intelligence, planning, aircraft and operations. “Everything went smoothly,” the commander of the Indian Air Force’s 69th Squadron told reporters, according to the Times of Israel.
Bunker-buster bombs weigh between 907 kg and 1,814 kg. The design of the bombs resembles advanced artillery developed during World War II, particularly Röchling shells.
Israel’s military campaign was intensified, with more than 2,000 airstrikes in Lebanon. The attack also targeted Hezbollah’s military assets, destroying vital electronic equipment and a stockpile of missiles. Israeli military officials indicated that the operation had been planned for months, with real-time intelligence confirming Nasrallah’s presence in the bunker at the time of the attack. “We had intelligence that Nasrallah was meeting with senior militants, and we acted accordingly,” Israeli spokesman Nadav Shoshani told the WSJ.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the attack 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 comments after the attack, Netanyahu called Nasrallah a “terrorist” and said, “His removal is essential to achieving our goals.”
The conflict has already displaced thousands of people on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border. The United Nations reports that more than 200,000 Lebanese civilians have been displaced in the past week alone, with many more feared fleeing as fighting intensifies.
Israel has vowed to continue its military operations against Hezbollah until the group ceases its attacks.
