Aftermath of Israeli airstrike on Beirut's Dahieh
(Video: Reuters)
The Israeli Air Force dropped over 80 tons of bombs on Hezbollah's underground command center in Beirut on Friday, killing the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and other senior operatives, the IDF said on Saturday.
The strike targeted a bunker beneath residential tower blocks in the Dahieh district, using bunker-busting munitions, although the IDF has not confirmed their use.
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Hassan Nasrallah, Beirut aftermath of an Israeli strike
(Photo: Hussein Malla / AP, IDF, mohammad kassir / Shutterstock)
Air Force Chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar praised the pilots involved, saying, "You brought victory" upon completion of the mission.
The attacks continued through Saturday, with airstrikes targeting Hezbollah's underground missile storage facilities in Dahieh. These facilities housed Iranian-made missiles aimed at disrupting maritime traffic along Israel's coast and threatening the Haifa port.
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Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF chief Herzi Halevi and Air Force Commander Tomer Bar during the attack on Hezbollah's central command
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
"Since last night, the IDF has struck over 140 Hezbollah targets, including launch sites aimed at Israeli civilians, weapons storage buildings, strategic weaponry, production facilities, and additional terrorist infrastructure, some embedded beneath residential buildings in Beirut," the military said in a statement on Saturday.
In a briefing to the foreign press, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari expressed hope that Nasrallah's death would change Hezbollah's operational course. He emphasized that the military was focused on eliminating threats to Israel’s borders and citizens, including precision weapons, and was prepared for any scenario.