Nasrallah assassination: How did Israel attack Hezbollah chief hiding 60 feet underground? | World news

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an airstrike led by the Israeli Air Force on Friday. The precision operation, which involved coordination with multiple intelligence agencies, took place while Nasrallah and other senior leaders of the Iran-backed group were meeting at a command headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon.

The attack came just a week after Israel’s deadly detonation of hundreds of booby-trapped pagers and radios. In a series of rapid attacks, Israel has eliminated half of Hezbollah’s board of directors and crushed its top military command. This latest operation is a serious blow to the leadership of the Iran-backed group. But how did Israel infiltrate so deeply into Hezbollah’s bunker?

How Israel killed Hezbollah chief Nasrallah hiding in a bunker

Israel had been aware of the whereabouts of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah for months before launching the attack, The New York Times reported, citing three senior Israeli defense officials.

In a statement released after the attack, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief Herzi Helevi said a precise strike was carried out that resulted in the elimination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. He added that the operation took place in Hezbollah’s underground headquarters in the heart of Beirut, along with other senior officials of the organization.

The bunker where the leaders met was more than 60 feet underground in a busy southern Beirut neighborhood, the Wall Street Journal reported. The leaders had met to discuss how to act against Israel, while Iran prevented them from responding aggressively.

Just a day before the attack, a source familiar with Israel’s strategy had told Reuters that Israel had spent 20 years gathering intelligence on Hezbollah and could attack Nasrallah whenever it wanted, including at his headquarters. The report also mentioned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his inner circle authorized the attack on Wednesday, causing the attack to occur while Netanyahu was in New York addressing the UN General Assembly.

80 tons of bombs hit a 60-foot-deep bunker

In one of the largest urban bombings in recent history, around 80 tons of explosives were used against a heavily fortified bunker located more than 60 feet underground. The attack also dismantled the terrorist group’s electronic devices along with the missile arsenal. The specific strategies devised to breach the underground defenses required months of planning.

Israeli forces used a series of timed explosions to penetrate the bunker’s underground defenses. “We had real-time intelligence that Nasrallah was meeting with several high-ranking militants,” Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoshani told the WSJ.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s bold speech at the UN

Prime Minister Netanyahu was attending the UN General Assembly in New York when he authorized the assassination orders for the Hezbollah chief. Netanyahu condemned terrorism during his speech at the UN.

The timing of the incident has raised concerns, as US officials were unaware of this bold plan as it complicates ongoing ceasefire efforts in the region.

Hassan Nasrallah, whom Israel has long blamed for deadly attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets, had been on its kill list for decades. His assassination marks the most significant targeted assassination by Israel in years, dramatically escalating the conflict in the Middle East.

In his first public statement since the attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that eliminating Nasrallah was necessary to “achieve our objectives,” describing him as “not just another terrorist, but the terrorist.”