Beirut, Lebanon — In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, the long-time leader of the Iran-backed terror group, was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting Hezbollah’s underground command center in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The airstrike, which took place on Friday, also claimed the lives of more than 20 high-ranking Hezbollah operatives, including senior military commanders and an official from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Nasrallah’s death was confirmed by Hezbollah on Saturday, though the group did not disclose the exact circumstances of his demise or provide details on the timing of his funeral.
Sources from the medical and security sectors, however, revealed that Nasrallah’s body, which was recovered from the site of the massive airstrike, bore no visible wounds. The likely cause of death was blunt force trauma resulting from the sheer force of the explosion, they said.
A short video, purportedly showing the moment Nasrallah’s body was retrieved from Hezbollah’s heavily fortified underground bunker, circulated widely across Lebanese media outlets shortly after the announcement of his death.
The bunker, located beneath residential buildings in the densely populated Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut, was targeted by a barrage of bunker-busting bombs dropped by Israeli F-15I fighter jets.
A Major Blow to Hezbollah’s Leadership
In addition to Nasrallah, several senior Hezbollah leaders were killed in the strike. Among them was Ali Karaki, Hezbollah’s Southern Front commander, who was responsible for overseeing military operations in southern Lebanon.
Karaki had narrowly escaped an Israeli assassination attempt earlier in the week, but his luck ran out on Friday. Hezbollah confirmed his death on Sunday.
Karaki was not the only high-profile figure killed in the strike. Ibrahim Hussein Jazini, who headed Nasrallah’s personal security unit, and Samir Tawfiq Deeb, one of Nasrallah’s close advisors, were also killed.
The loss of Jazini and Deeb, both key figures in Nasrallah’s inner circle, represents a significant blow to Hezbollah’s command structure, as they were considered “a significant source of knowledge regarding the ongoing functioning of the Hezbollah terror organization and Nasrallah in particular,” according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Other top commanders killed in the strike included Abd al-Amir Muhammad Sablini, responsible for Hezbollah’s force build-up, and Ali Nayef Ayoub, who was in charge of the group’s firepower.
Each of these figures played crucial roles in the operational and strategic framework of Hezbollah, a group that has long been a proxy for Iran in its broader struggle against Israel.
In a particularly notable development, Abbas Nilforoushan, the deputy commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, was also killed in the attack. Nilforoushan’s presence in the command center underscored Iran’s deep involvement in Hezbollah’s operations.
His death is a significant loss for Tehran, which relies heavily on Hezbollah as its main proxy in Lebanon and a key part of its regional influence.
The Israeli Operation: Precision and Devastation
According to the IDF, the Friday airstrike targeted Hezbollah’s main underground command center in Dahiyeh, which had been constructed beneath residential buildings close to a United Nations-run school.
The site had long been a vital nerve center for Hezbollah’s operations, hosting Nasrallah and his senior commanders during times of conflict.
The operation involved the use of dozens of bunker-busting bombs, which are designed to penetrate reinforced underground facilities. Israeli Air Force F-15I fighter jets carried out the precision strike, reducing much of the Hezbollah command center to rubble.
The airstrike marked one of the most significant attacks on Hezbollah’s leadership since the assassination of the group’s military chief, Imad Mughniyeh, in 2008, which was widely attributed to Israel.
While the IDF has declined to provide specific details on the intelligence that led to the strike, Israeli military officials have indicated that it was part of a broader effort to dismantle Hezbollah’s command-and-control infrastructure, particularly as the group has escalated its activities in the ongoing conflict with Israel.
Rising Tensions and Widening Conflict
The airstrike comes at a time of heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, with the conflict between the two sides intensifying since Hamas launched its unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, triggering a full-scale war in the Gaza Strip.
In the days following the Hamas attack, Hezbollah began low-intensity cross-border skirmishes with Israel, targeting Israeli positions along the Lebanon-Israel border.
Israel’s military response has been swift and devastating. Since Monday, Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon have killed more than 630 people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
A significant number of the casualties, Lebanese officials say, have been women and children, with Hezbollah accused of embedding its military infrastructure within civilian areas, effectively using civilians as human shields.
Israel, for its part, has maintained that many of those killed are Hezbollah operatives, who continue to use civilian populations as cover for their military activities.
As the death toll mounts, so too has the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported on Saturday that more than 211,000 people have been displaced by the recent escalation in hostilities.
Of those, 118,000 have fled their homes in the last week alone, seeking refuge from the intense bombardments. Thousands more remain trapped in conflict zones, unable to escape due to the ongoing fighting.
The Regional Impact: A Wider War?
Nasrallah’s death represents a major setback for Hezbollah and could have far-reaching consequences for the group’s operations, both in Lebanon and across the wider region. For decades, Nasrallah was not only the face of Hezbollah but also a symbol of its resilience in the face of Israeli military might.
His leadership helped transform the group from a relatively small militant organization into one of the most powerful non-state actors in the Middle East, with significant political and military influence.
The loss of Nasrallah and several key commanders creates a power vacuum within Hezbollah that may lead to internal struggles for leadership, while also weakening its ability to wage coordinated operations against Israel in the short term.
However, Hezbollah has historically been adept at regrouping and reorganizing after significant losses, and the possibility of retaliation against Israel cannot be ruled out.
Iran, Hezbollah’s primary backer, is likely to view Nasrallah’s death as a serious blow to its influence in Lebanon.
The presence of Abbas Nilforoushan, a senior IRGC commander, in Hezbollah’s bunker at the time of the strike highlights the deep level of coordination between Tehran and its Lebanese proxy.
Nilforoushan’s death will likely prompt a strong response from Iran, which has repeatedly vowed to stand by Hezbollah in its struggle against Israel.
The broader regional implications of the strike are also significant. With Hezbollah now reeling from the loss of its leadership, other Iranian-aligned militias across the Middle East, including those in Syria and Iraq, could seek to escalate tensions with Israel in response.
Furthermore, the possibility of Hezbollah launching a major retaliatory attack against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon or elsewhere looms large.
The Human Cost of Conflict
As both sides continue to trade blows, the human toll of the conflict is becoming ever more apparent. In addition to the hundreds killed in Lebanon, Israel has also sustained significant casualties, with rocket attacks by Hezbollah and Hamas continuing to target civilian areas.
The prospect of an even broader war, which could draw in other regional actors such as Syria and Iran, remains a serious concern for both local populations and international observers.
For now, the death of Hassan Nasrallah marks a significant moment in the ongoing conflict, one that may shape the course of events in the days and weeks to come.
As Hezbollah mourns its fallen leader, Israel remains on high alert, preparing for the possibility of further escalation.
The path ahead is uncertain, but what is clear is that the death of one of the Middle East’s most notorious leaders will have lasting repercussions far beyond the borders of Lebanon.