According to Israeli sources, the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, is dead after the attack launched by Israel on the organization’s headquarters in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
The information comes from Israeli sources, which have also been reported in Israeli media, stating that Nasrallah was indeed in the Hezbollah building at the time of the attack and lost his life.
At the same time, Channel 13 was more cautious: “Cautious optimism in Israel: The strike on Nasrallah succeeded.”
It should be noted that Nasrallah’s case had turned into a “thriller” following the Israeli attack, which was the largest Beirut had experienced in 18 years, as four buildings were completely leveled.
According to Al Manar, four buildings were destroyed in the raids, and images of a massive crater were broadcast. Eyewitnesses reported hearing multiple powerful explosions in the city, with a massive cloud of smoke rising. Ambulance sirens could be heard throughout the Lebanese capital.
Judging by the images from the site of the explosions and eyewitness accounts from Beirut, at least six bombs were used, with hundreds of kilograms of explosive charges. The bombing literally flattened the buildings, burying every underground structure at the site under the rubble.
The strike caused approximately 300 deaths, according to Israeli reports. The official toll from Lebanese authorities mentions two deaths and at least 76 injured.
From the very beginning, it became clear that the target of the attack was Hassan Nasrallah, with the first reports stating that the one who definitely lost his life was the deputy commander of the organization, Hashem Safi al-Din, which was indeed confirmed.
At the same time, Channel 13 was more cautious: “Cautious optimism in Israel: The strike on Nasrallah succeeded.”
“We were not informed,” says Washington
Meanwhile, the United States reported that they were not informed in advance of the Israeli strike.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was speaking with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, while the operation was underway, according to the Pentagon spokeswoman.
“The U.S. was not involved in this operation and was not informed in advance,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters.
The spokeswoman avoided clarifying whether Gallant told Austin about the operation and whether its target was indeed Hassan Nasrallah. The Pentagon also does not want to “speculate” on Nasrallah’s fate.
According to the White House, President Joe Biden was also briefed on the strikes in Beirut by his National Security Council staff.
However, a U.S. official, cited by the Times of Israel, said that the U.S. was informed of the strike as Israeli aircraft were in the air heading toward their target.
