Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is reportedly “alive and well” following Israel’s airstrike on the group’s headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Friday. Iran has vowed to retaliate against Israel, calling the strike a “dangerous and game-changing escalation.“
Israeli media claimed Nasrallah was present during the attack. Axios reported an Israeli source suggesting Nasrallah was the target, with the military verifying if he was injured. However, sources close to Hezbollah and Iranian news agency Tasnim confirmed that Nasrallah was unharmed.
An anonymous source told Reuters that Nasrallah is “alive,” and another source echoed similar sentiments to AFP, saying, “Sayyed Nasrallah is fine.”
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated that the operation targeted Hezbollah’s headquarters, allegedly built under residential areas to use civilians as shields. Israeli reports suggest that bunker-buster bombs, which penetrate deep underground, were deployed during the strikes.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared an image supposedly showing him authorizing the airstrike from his hotel room in New York. Meanwhile, Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant posted a photo of him monitoring the airstrike from an underground command center with IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Air Force head Tomer Bar.
Following the strike, Nasrallah’s official X account posted that Hezbollah executive council head, Hashem Safieddine, Nasrallah’s cousin, is also safe. Nasrallah urged his followers not to believe “enemy propaganda.”
Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV reported that four buildings were destroyed, and the airstrikes resulted in numerous casualties, signaling a significant escalation of the conflict. The strikes came after a week of Israeli attacks on Hezbollah-held areas in Beirut’s southern suburbs, killing at least three senior Hezbollah commanders.
Iran’s embassy in Lebanon condemned the attack, labeling it a “dangerous escalation” and warning of “appropriate retaliation” against those responsible. The condemnation followed Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech at the UN General Assembly, where he declared that Israel’s reach could extend to Tehran and the Middle East.
During his speech, several delegations walked out, while his supporters applauded.
The Pentagon stated that the U.S. was not notified in advance about Israel’s airstrike in Beirut. According to Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin communicated with his Israeli counterpart during the operation. However, details of the conversation, including whether Nasrallah was the target, were not disclosed. Singh emphasized that the U.S. was not involved in the operation.
