The IDF targeted Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in a strike on the terror organization's central headquarters in Beirut Friday evening, the IDF reported.
דיווחים בלבנון על תקיפה ישראלית בביירות; בעוד זמן קצר - הצהרת דובר צה"ל @Doron_Kadosh @barakbet pic.twitter.com/1Pl05By1S9
— גלצ (@GLZRadio) September 27, 2024
The IDF has not confirmed whether Nasrallah was hit, Axios reported, citing an Israeli source. Israel is attempting to identify if Nasrallah was at the central headquarters at the time of the attack, if he is alive, and what his current condition is.
However, Reuters reported that Nasrallah is reportedly alive, citing a source close to Hezbollah.
"Hezbollah's central headquarters was intentionally built under residential buildings in the heart of the Dahiyeh in Beirut as part of Hezbollah's strategy of using Lebanese people as human shields," IDF Spokesman R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari stated in an evening address.
Hagari said that the targeted building was the epicenter of Hezbollah's terror activities.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, at the time of the strike, was at the Israel Air Force's (IAF) command and control center, where he monitored the strike against Hezbollah's headquarters, the Defense Ministry stated.
Other senior officials, including IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Commander of the IAF, were also present.
The IDF added there is no change in the Home Front Command directives.
Israel informed the US of the strike shortly before, according to Israeli sources, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized the strike from New York.
The Pentagon later said that the US did not have advanced warning of an Israeli strike in Beirut and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart as the operation was ongoing, Reuters reported.
Multiple blasts were heard in Beirut, Lebanon, Reuters reported earlier, citing witnesses.
Lebanese media: New airstrike in Beirut pic.twitter.com/R8o4U3YeoD
— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) September 27, 2024
The witnesses told Reuters they saw clouds of smoke rising from the city.
"After almost a year of Hezbollah firing rockets, missiles, and suicide drones at Israeli civilians, after almost a year of Israel warning the world and telling them that Hezbollah must be stopped, Israel is doing what every sovereign state in the world would do if they had a terror organization that seeks their destruction on their border, taking the necessary action to protect our people so that Israeli families can live in their homes, safely and securely,” Hagari said in his address.
Successive airstrikes
The IDF targeted Beirut shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue Israel's attacks on Hezbollah.
The southern suburbs of Beirut were hit in successive airstrikes, Hezbollah affiliate Al Manar TV reported.
Many ambulances and civil defense vehicles arrived at the scenes of several buildings that had exploded.
Several Arab media sources have begun calling on their followers to pray for Nasrallah.
The Israeli air force struck southern Beirut last week, targeting 16 Hezbollah commanders, including Radwan Force commander Ibrahim Aqil and Hezbollah drone until chief Muhammad Hossein Sarur.
Southern Beirut is known as a Hezbollah stronghold.
This is a developing story.
Reuters contributed to this report.