The Israeli military said Friday it struck the central headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut, where a series of massive explosions leveled multiple buildings, sending clouds of orange and black smoke billowing in the skies.
The strikes in the suburbs south of Lebanon’s capital came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the U.N., vowing that Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah would continue. His comments further dimmed hopes for an internationally backed cease-fire aimed at preventing a spiral into all-out war.
Three major Israeli TV channels said Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the strikes. But the reports could not immediately be confirmed, and the army declined comment. Given the size and timing of the blast, there were strong indications that a high-value target may have been inside the buildings struck.
To a degree unseen in past conflicts, Israel this past week has aimed to eliminate Hezbollah’s senior leadership.
Friday’s bombings were the most powerful yet seen in the Lebanese capital the past year. The Israeli army spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said it targeted the main Hezbollah headquarters, located beneath residential buildings. Four buildings in the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Dahiyeh were reduced to rubble, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV reported. The blast rattled windows and shook houses some 18 miles north of Beirut. Ambulances were seen headed to the scene, sirens wailing.
Israel dramatically intensified its airstrikes in Lebanon this week, saying it is determined to put an end to more than 11 months of Hezbollah fire into its territory. The scope of Israel’s operation remains unclear, but officials have said a ground invasion to push the militant group away from the border is a possibility. Israel has moved thousands of troops toward the border in preparation.
IDF begins bombing Hezbollah's central headquarters, located under residential buildings in the heart of Beirut.pic.twitter.com/CiJrj1Yr0v
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At least 25 people were killed in Israeli strikes early Friday, Hezbollah-aligned Health Minister Firass Abiad claimed, bringing the death toll in Lebanon this week to more than 720. He said the dead included dozens of women and children, but offered no evidence.
At the U.N., Netanyahu vowed to “continue degrading Hezbollah” until Israel achieves its goals.
Netanyahu’s comments have damped hopes for a U.S.-backed call for a 21-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah to allow time for a diplomatic solution. Hezbollah has not responded to the proposal.
Iranian-backed Hezbollah, a heavily armed radical Islamic terrorist, began firing rockets at Israeli civilians almost immediately after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, saying it was a show of support for the Palestinians. Since then, it and the Israeli military have traded fire almost daily, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes on both sides of the border.
An Israeli security official said he expects a possible war against Hezbollah would not last for as long as the current war in Gaza, because the Israeli military’s goals are much narrower.
In Gaza, Israel has vowed to dismantle Hamas’ military and political regime, but the goal in Lebanon is just to push Hezbollah away from the border with Israel — “not a high bar like Gaza” in terms of operational objectives, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to military briefing guidelines.
The Israeli military said it carried out dozens of strikes over the course of two hours around the south on Friday, including in the cities of Sidon and Nabatiyeh. It said it was targeting Hezbollah rocket launchers and infrastructure. It said Hezbollah fired a volley of rockets toward the northern Israeli city of Tiberias in another attempted massacre.
Israel says its accelerated strikes this week have already inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollah’s weapons capabilities – and a string of its top commanders have been assassinated in strikes. Officials have suggested its limited fire of missile and rockets the past week show it has been set back.
But the group boasted a large arsenal of rockets and missiles and its remaining capacities remain unknown.
The Associated Press contributed to this article