Israeli and American officials said the attack was intended to kill Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the Iran-backed militia. Several residential buildings were destroyed south of the Lebanese capital.The New York Times reports that on Friday evening, Israeli forces destroyed several residential buildings in the southern part of Beirut, Lebanon’s capital. The Israeli government claimed that the buildings were hiding the central headquarters of Hezbollah, a militant group based in Lebanon. According to eight Israeli and two American officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the main target of the strikes was Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah. It is not known if Nasrallah was present in the buildings at the time of the attack.

The destruction of these buildings marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which has been intensifying over the past two weeks. There are concerns that this could lead to a larger regional war, with the involvement of Iran, Hezbollah’s main supporter.

The airstrikes came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a defiant speech at the United Nations General Assembly, where he defended his government’s actions in the Gaza conflict and its ongoing conflict with Hezbollah. Despite international calls for a cease-fire, Netanyahu vowed to continue fighting.

According to Lebanon’s health ministry, at least two people have been killed and 76 wounded in the latest strikes. However, the health minister, Firass Abiad, believes that the death toll will rise as many people are still trapped under the rubble. The targeted buildings were residential, and Abiad stated that they were filled with people at the time of the attack.

The Dahiya, a group of densely populated neighborhoods in southern Beirut, is known to be a stronghold of Hezbollah. The area is also home to shops, businesses, and apartment buildings. The Israeli strikes have caused significant damage to the area, with photos and videos showing emergency workers searching through the rubble and thick black smoke rising above the city.

According to Israel’s chief military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the strike on what he called Hezbollah’s “epicenter” was a response to almost a year of attacks by the group on Israel. He stated that Israel was acting like any other sovereign state would in this situation. Hagari also accused Hezbollah of using Lebanese civilians as human shields by embedding themselves in residential neighborhoods.

While it is believed that Hezbollah has hidden bunkers in the Dahiya, their exact locations are unknown to most people in Lebanon. The group has a strong grip on the area, and Lebanese security forces rarely enter this Hezbollah stronghold. This highlights the power and influence that the group holds in Lebanon. 

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