By Palestine Chronicle Editors

The Israeli army launched a massive airstrike targeting a residential area in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday, claiming that it hit Hezbollah’s main military headquarters.

According to Israeli media reports, the target of the strike was Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah.

Al-Jazeera cited the Israeli army radio as saying that initial indications are not sufficient to confirm or deny the killing of Hezbollah’s leader.

According to various sources, however, there are early indications that Israel may have failed to reach the Lebanese leader.

For its part, the Iranian Tasnim news agency confirmed that Nasrallah is in a safe area and that he is unarmed.

According to the Lebanese news network Al-Mayadeen, at least six buildings were destroyed in the attack, which was reportedly carried out with US-made 2,000-pound bunker-busting bombs.

Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene, but no official death toll has been released as of yet. The Lebanese Civil Defense said in a statement that hundreds of people are still missing.

LEBANESE CIVIL DEFENSE: Hundreds are missing under the rubble following the use of 2,000-pound American bunker-busting bombs by Israeli aircraft in this attack. pic.twitter.com/K280WQYOYi

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) September 27, 2024

Some estimations, based on a visual assessment of the destruction, suggest that this is maybe the largest attack on Lebanon since the war in 2006.

Meanwhile, Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari claimed in a press conference that the strikes were aimed at Hezbollah’s command center, which, as he claimed, had been deliberately constructed “under residential buildings in Beirut to use civilians as human shields.”

Al-Mayadeen correspondent, however, said that the targeted area hosted several charities, whose sole responsibility is to look after the welfare of thousands of poor Lebanese in the area.

The Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left a meeting with journalists in New York after learning of the attack. 

Following the strikes, Tel Aviv Municipality announced the opening of public shelters across the city, according to Israeli media.

🚨 10 buildings have collapsed as a result of the Israeli unprecedented bombing in Beirut, using multiple 2,000-pound bombs on residential areas crowded with people. pic.twitter.com/flQqv3b6wP

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) September 27, 2024

Our Analysis

“For a few days, US officials and media have focused on a supposed acceptance by Netanyahu of a proposed ceasefire, suggesting that the extremist Israeli leader is ready to bring the conflict in Lebanon to an end,” Palestinian journalist and editor of the Palestine Chronicle Dr. Ramzy Baroud said.

“Later, it was reported that Netanyahu had changed his mind, supposedly under pressure from two extremist ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich,” Baroud added.

“The massive attack on Beirut, the assassination attempt of Hezbollah’s leader, and their timing indicate that all of this was a ploy and that Netanyahu had planned to kill Nasrallah even prior to his visit to the US,” according to Baroud.

🚨Massive destruction was caused by the Israeli occupation bombardment of the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

According to Israeli media reports, 2,000-pound bunker-busting bombs were used in the bombing of the southern suburbs. pic.twitter.com/C8ihVRUJOF

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) September 27, 2024

“Netanyahu was hoping that he would make the announcement of Nasrallah’s death during or following his UN General Assembly speech about the so-called Axis of Evil. He wanted to be in the US to take the victory lap and to present himself as the savior of the Middle East and the world.”

“If it is confirmed that Nasrallah is safe, what is intended to be a decisive blow to the group will eventually prove to be a nightmare scenario for Israel, thus the panic throughout the country, especially in the central region of Tel Aviv,” Baroud concluded.

This is a developing story. 

(The Palestine Chronicle)