Israeli warplanes flattened several residential buildings south of Beirut on Friday in an attempt to kill Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Israeli officials confirmed. The attack went for an underground base of operations where Nasrallah was allegedly meeting with top commanders.
Five unnamed officials said that preliminary evaluations by Israeli intelligence indicate that Nasrallah could have died in the assault. Officials warned that these findings are still preliminary and might change.
According to the Israeli military, early on Saturday, Israeli soldiers carried out more bombings in the Beirut suburb of Dahiya, urging locals to evacuate before demolishing more structures, including possible weapons storage locations.
Assassinating Nasrallah would be a major step up for Israel in its ongoing war against Hezbollah. The two-week-long offensive has sparked worries about the possibility of a larger regional conflict due to the possibility that Iran, an ally of Hezbollah, may become involved.
According to a senior Israeli official, the goal of the bombings was to destroy Hezbollah's leadership in order to render the organization incapable of launching a ground invasion of Lebanon. The officer did concede that it may take many weeks to determine if Nasrallah was truly slain or seriously hurt.
According to Israeli estimations, the attacks have now obliterated around half of Hezbollah's missile arsenal. With Iran's assistance, Hezbollah has amassed a sizable arsenal over the years, putting Israel's northern area in grave danger.
Following the assaults on southern Israel in October, which were orchestrated by Hamas, tensions have increased following the strikes. Since then, Hezbollah has fired missiles at northern Israel, causing Israel to retaliate and force tens of thousands of Palestinians to flee across the border.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a warning on Friday in reaction to the bombings, stating that the region's destiny may be determined in the days ahead. While highlighting Israel's right to self-defense, he also underlined the significance of its military actions.
According to reports, there may be difficulties in achieving a cease-fire by diplomatic means, even if the United States and European countries support a 21-day timetable. Israeli authorities emphasized that there had been no agreement struck on a cease-fire and expressed worries that Hezbollah would replenish its weaponry during any cease-fire.