There has been no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah regarding Nasrallah’s death, and reports from the ground remain unclear. However, Israeli military officials maintain that the operation, which took place on Friday, also eliminated Ali Karki, Commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front, and several other high-ranking members of the group’s leadership.
Details of the strike
The airstrike targeted Hezbollah’s central headquarters during a leadership meeting, according to Israeli officials. The precision strike, carried out after what Israel described as "a long period of preparation," hit an underground facility located beneath residential buildings in Dahiyeh, an area known as a Hezbollah stronghold.
In a statement, Israel’s Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, noted that Nasrallah’s elimination was "not the end of our toolbox" and suggested that additional strikes against Hezbollah leadership could follow. “This is just one stage in a broader operation,” Halevi said, hinting at further actions to weaken the militant group’s infrastructure and leadership.
Casualties and escalating tensions
Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that Friday's strikes in Dahiyeh killed six people and injured 91 others. The strikes also destroyed six apartment buildings, displacing many families in the densely populated area.In response, Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets across northern and central Israel, intensifying the conflict. The Israeli military retaliated with additional strikes on southern Beirut and Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, further escalating the situation.
The conflict has already taken a heavy toll, with over 720 people killed in Lebanon due to Israeli airstrikes in the past week alone, according to Lebanese health officials. The situation in Beirut remains dire, with many residents fleeing the city and taking refuge in public squares, beaches, and shelters, as the streets of Dahiyeh were left empty amid the devastation.
Nasrallah’s importance and Hezbollah’s role
If Nasrallah’s death is confirmed, it would represent a major victory for Israel in its long-standing battle with Hezbollah, a group it has targeted for decades. Nasrallah has led Hezbollah since 1992, rising to become one of the most powerful figures in Lebanese politics and a key ally of Iran. His leadership of Hezbollah has been marked by numerous confrontations with Israel, including the 2006 Lebanon War and continued skirmishes along the Israeli-Lebanese border.Israel has frequently accused Hezbollah of using civilians as human shields and building military infrastructure within residential areas, a claim it reiterated following Friday’s strikes. “Hezbollah’s central headquarters was intentionally built under residential buildings in the heart of the Dahiyeh,” said IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. He added that the strike was a necessary action to “protect our people so that Israeli families can live in their homes, safely and securely.”
The path ahead
As fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies, international calls for a ceasefire have grown louder. Nations around the world are urging both sides to step back from the brink of full-scale war. Discussions about the future of Lebanon and the broader Middle East region have also resurfaced, with many world leaders stressing the need for a two-state solution and comprehensive peace talks to address the root causes of the ongoing violence.Meanwhile, Israel has begun mobilising more reserve soldiers, signalling that it may be preparing for a broader offensive. The military has already activated three battalions of reserve soldiers and sent two brigades to northern Israel, training for a possible ground invasion in response to Hezbollah’s continuous rocket fire.
As both Israel and Hezbollah brace for what could be a significant escalation, the region faces the possibility of even greater instability, with far-reaching implications for the wider Middle East.
(With inputs from agencies)