Israeli media have published a video of the moment Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed on September 27, 2024. Judging by the aftermath of the attack, an American BLU-109 bunker buster missile was used, capable of penetrating more than 60 meters underground and detonating inside the facility. As a result of the explosion, Nasrallah died and was replaced by Naim Qassem. 

The operation to eliminate Nasrallah was planned by the Israeli military after receiving precise intelligence about his location. The strike was carried out on an underground Hezbollah command center in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiya. The area is traditionally considered a stronghold of the group and was where Nasrallah’s bunker was located, which had long been considered one of the most protected facilities. According to military analysts, the air strike was carried out using F-16I fighters equipped with armor-piercing munitions specifically designed to destroy fortified underground facilities. 

The strike hit its target, causing a powerful explosion that completely destroyed Hezbollah's underground headquarters. Along with Nasrallah, the commander of the organization's southern front, Ali Karaki, was killed, as well as Iranian General Abbas Nilforoushan, one of the key liaisons between Hezbollah and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to preliminary data, the total number of people killed in the strike was 33, with another 195 injured to varying degrees. 

Hours after Hassan Nasrallah’s death was confirmed, Hezbollah’s leadership announced the appointment of Naim Qassem as his successor. Qassem, who served as the organization’s deputy leader for more than 30 years, is considered one of its ideologists and Nasrallah’s closest associates. Trained in chemistry, he has been active in the group since the 1980s, overseeing youth organizations, training fighters, and interacting with Iranian military handlers. In his first official speech as Hezbollah’s new leader, Qassem said the organization had regained its strength after the loss of Nasrallah and intends to continue the fight against Israel.