The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted a precise air strike on Friday targeting Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Lebanon. The strike hit Hezbollah’s main headquarters, which was deliberately located beneath residential buildings in the Dahieh suburb, according to IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. He emphasized that Hezbollah’s tactic of placing its operations under civilian infrastructure was meant to use the local population as human shields.
“After nearly a year of warning the international community about the threat posed by Hezbollah, Israel is taking the necessary actions to defend its people from a terrorist organization that seeks their destruction,” Hagari said. “This is what any sovereign nation would do to ensure the safety and security of its citizens.”
The air strike coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States, where he was addressing the United Nations.
Joe Truzman, a senior research analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), remarked that Israel likely had strong intelligence on Nasrallah’s location before launching the operation. The militant group has launched over 8,000 missiles, rockets, and drones at Israel since the October 7 attack by Hamas, forcing tens of thousands of residents in northern Israel to evacuate and preventing them from returning to their homes.
“The strikes were extensive to guarantee the target was neutralized,” Truzman noted.
