Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on an underground bunker in Beirut on Friday. The attack, planned by the Israeli Air Force, involved the cooperation of several intelligence agencies and resulted in the death of Nasrallah as well as several senior Hezbollah officials.

The attack took place in south Beirut and targeted a heavily fortified bunker 60 feet underground. Nasrallah and other high-ranking members of the Iran-backed group had gathered to discuss a strategy against Israel, according to a report from Tehran, under increasing pressure to avoid immediate retaliation. between the The Wall Street Journal.

In what is being described as one of the largest attacks on a civilian center in recent history, the Israeli military used about 80 tons of explosives, including about 85 special “bunker-buster” bombs. are designed to penetrate deep into fortified structures. These munitions, capable of penetrating up to 30 meters of earth or six meters of reinforced concrete, were used to breach bunker defenses and ensure attack accuracy.

“Whatever we had planned was executed perfectly, without any mistakes, intelligence, planning, with the aircraft and the operation itself,” the commander of the IAF’s 69th squadron told reporters. Everything went smoothly. Israel Times.

Bunkerbuster bombs weigh between 907 kg and 1,814 kg. The design of the bombs is similar to modern artillery developed during World War II, particularly the Rochling shells.

Israel’s military campaign intensified, with more than 2,000 airstrikes conducted in Lebanon. The attack also targeted Hezbollah military assets, destroying critical 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 received intelligence that Nasrallah was meeting with senior terrorists and we acted accordingly,” Israeli spokesman Nadav Shoshani told the WSJ.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave permission for the strike during his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. During his speech, Netanyahu condemned terrorism and emphasized Israel’s commitment to securing its borders. In his first public remarks since the attack, 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 Israel-Lebanon border. The United Nations has reported that more than 200,000 Lebanese civilians have been displaced in the past week alone, with many more expected to flee as fighting intensifies.

Israel has vowed to continue its military operations against Hezbollah until the group stops its attacks.

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