Hezbollah Leader Nasrallah: Inside War Operations Room During Fatal Israeli Airstrike
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah met his demise in an Israeli airstrike while inside the militant group’s war operations room, as revealed by a senior Hezbollah official. The tragic incident occurred during a series of Israeli airstrikes that razed several buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sept. 27, 2023, resulting in Nasrallah’s death and six others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. Reports indicated that Nasrallah and other high-ranking officials were holding a meeting underground.
Turning Point to All-Out War
The assassination of Nasrallah, who had been at the helm of Hezbollah for 32 years, escalated the conflict between Israel and the militants into a full-blown war that ravaged large parts of southern and eastern Lebanon for two months. The intense hostilities persisted until a U.S.-brokered ceasefire came into effect on Nov. 27.
Wafiq Safa, a top Hezbollah security official, disclosed that Nasrallah, known for leading battles and wars from this very location, breathed his last in the war operations room. Safa refrained from providing additional details during a news conference near the site of Nasrallah’s demise. Earlier reports in Lebanese media suggested that Safa was targeted in Israeli airstrikes in central Beirut prior to the ceasefire but emerged unscathed.
Post-Assassination Developments
Under the initial phase of the ceasefire, Hezbollah was mandated to relocate its fighters, arms, and infrastructure from southern Lebanon north of the Litani River, while Israeli forces that had entered southern Lebanon were required to withdraw within 60 days. The Lebanese army was to deploy significantly in conjunction with United Nations peacekeepers to be the primary armed presence in southern Lebanon.
Both Lebanon and Hezbollah criticized ongoing Israeli aerial assaults and violations of Lebanese airspace, highlighting Israel’s partial withdrawal from a few Lebanese villages it controlled. Israel contended that the Lebanese military had not fulfilled its obligations to dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure.
Hezbollah’s current leader, Naim Kassem, cautioned in a televised address that their fighters were prepared to strike Israel if its troops did not vacate the south by the month’s end.
Safa mentioned that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key figure in the ceasefire negotiations with the U.S., informed Hezbollah of an upcoming meeting with U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein. Safa hinted at potential outcomes based on the meeting’s results.
Hochstein played a pivotal role in the diplomatic efforts to secure the delicate truce, emphasizing the importance of sustained dialogue and cooperation.
