Reports of numerous casualties in multiple blasts that shook Lebanese capital Beirut; IDF says plans ready for Lebanon ground op
By Emanuel Fabian, Updated at 11:44 pm
An image grab taken from Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV shows the Lebanese terror group’s chief Hassan Nasrallah addressing the nation from an undisclosed location on September 19, 2024. (Al-Manar/AFP)
The Israeli Air Force carried out massive targeted airstrikes in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Friday evening, with the military saying it had struck Hezbollah’s main headquarters. An Israeli official confirmed to The Times of Israel that the strikes targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was believed to be at the command center at the time.
“It’s very hard to imagine him coming out alive from a strike like that,” said the official, as multiple Hebrew media reports cited a growing Israeli assessment that Nasrallah was killed in the strike on the underground headquarters.
The attack shook the Lebanese capital and sent thick clouds of smoke over the city. There were reports of many casualties in the multiple strikes.
A source close to Hezbollah said the Israeli strikes flattened six buildings. It was the heaviest attack in Beirut in almost a year of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. Israeli television networks reported that the attack had involved bombs totaling tens of tons of explosives.
A Lebanese security source told Reuters that Hezbollah’s top officials are usually gathered at the site that was targeted.
Underlining the extraordinary nature of the strike, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari gave an on-camera statement minutes after the strike. Hagari said the command center was built underneath civilian buildings in the Dahiyeh suburb, a known Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut.
He did not mention whether Nasrallah was a target or was believed to be present at the site.
Footage from Beirut showed extensive destruction at the site.
Hagari said there were no changes to guidelines for Israeli civilians at this time.
Israel has eliminated much of the Hezbollah terror group’s most senior leadership in recent weeks.
Hours after the strike there was no sign of life from Nasrallah.
As news emerged of the strike, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left a briefing with Israeli reporters after his speech at the United Nations. Netanyahu’s military secretary whispered something in his ear, before he cut the briefing short and left with his advisors.
The prime minister later announced he would cut short his visit to the United States and would depart for Israel at 3 a.m. (Israel time).
His office released a photograph that it said showed him approving the strike from his New York hotel room, evidently before he addressed the UN.
A US official told The Times of Israel that Israel notified the US about the airstrike after planes were already in the air and the operation was in motion.
A Pentagon spokesperson said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant as the operation was ongoing.
“The United States was not involved in this operation and we had no advance warning,” spokesperson Sabrina Singh said.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated sharply in recent weeks, with Israeli airstrikes on the terror group this week killing more than 700 people in Lebanon. The figure does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Israel says many of the dead are Hezbollah fighters.
The escalation has raised fears of an even more destructive conflict between the heavily armed adversaries.
Speaking the UN General Assembly shortly before the strike, Netanyahu said: “As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice, and Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their homes safely.
“Israel has been tolerating this intolerable situation for nearly a year. Well, I’ve come here today to say enough is enough,” he said.
In just 9 days, Israel has eliminated the entire command structure of Hezbollah! A true feat of excellence! The first stage of eliminating Hezbollah has begun to the joyous celebrations in Israel, Lebanon, Syria and Iran, while the students at Harvard and Columbia mourn the passing of their hero.
“The escalation has raised fears of an even more destructive conflict between the heavily armed adversaries.”
True: and it’s all going in one direction. Israel is decapitating Hezbollah. Each time Israel wipes out a few dozen dirt bags of Hezbollah, Hezbollah fires some missiles that are about 99% shot down.
Israel says its citizens will be moving back into their homes in the North. This is how it is done, a dozen terrorist leaders and dozens of military targets destroyed per day – every day – for weeks.
Notice how these bombing are filmed by Lebanese residents. They know where the dirt bags are hiding and film their destruction from a few hundred meters away, knowing they are perfectly safe. They are in the know.