Israeli Strikes on Hezbollah Headquarters Escalate Beirut Tensions

BEIRUT : The Israeli military executed airstrikes on Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut on Friday, unleashing a series of massive explosions that targeted the militant group’s leadership. This significant assault resulted in the destruction of several high-rise apartment buildings in the densely populated Haret Hreik neighborhood. According to Lebanon’s health ministry, at least two people were killed, and dozens were wounded, signaling a dangerous escalation in the ongoing conflict.

Reports indicate that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the intended target of the strikes, though the Israeli military has not confirmed whether he was present at the site. Following the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short his U.S. visit, abruptly returning home. Just hours earlier, he had vowed during a U.N. address that Israel would continue its intensified campaign against Hezbollah, diminishing hopes for a cease-fire in the region.

Israeli army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stated that the strikes were aimed at the primary Hezbollah headquarters, believed to be located underground beneath residential buildings. The blasts, which occurred around nightfall, were unprecedented in their intensity, reducing six apartment towers to rubble. Billowing black and orange smoke filled the sky, with windows rattling as far as 30 kilometers (18 miles) away.

The Lebanese Health Ministry reported two deaths and 76 injuries, though officials expect these numbers to rise as rescue teams continue to search for survivors. Footage from the scene showed emergency responders navigating through debris, with visible craters and overturned vehicles. Residents fled the area, carrying their belongings along main roads.

In a shift from past conflicts, Israel has increasingly targeted Hezbollah’s senior leadership, raising the stakes in the ongoing hostilities. An attempt to assassinate Nasrallah would represent a significant escalation. The Pentagon indicated that the U.S. had no prior warning of the strikes.

Nasrallah has rarely appeared in public, primarily delivering speeches via video from undisclosed locations. The site targeted in the strikes had not been publicly recognized as Hezbollah’s main headquarters, but it lies within the group’s heavily guarded “security quarters.”

In retaliation, Hezbollah announced it had launched rockets at the Israeli city of Safed, framing it as an act of defense against Israeli aggression. The Israeli military confirmed that a house and a car in Safed were struck, though details remain scarce.

In recent days, Israel has dramatically increased its airstrikes in Lebanon, determined to halt more than 11 months of Hezbollah fire into its territory. This intensified military campaign has resulted in over 720 casualties in Lebanon, including many women and children. A predawn strike in the border town of Chebaa on Friday reportedly killed nine members of the same family, according to state news reports.