Israel launched a series of airstrikes in Beirut, devastating an area where senior Hezbollah leaders, including Hashem Safi al-Din, were meeting, according to Israeli and international media. Videos from the scene showed the scale of the destruction, which witnesses compared to "doomsday." The New York Times and Axios, citing Israeli officials, said the target of the operation was Safi al-Din, a key leader of the group and a potential successor to Hassan Nasrallah.
The strikes have affected a large area, with many buildings completely destroyed. Videos posted on social media show streets and houses destroyed, with residents describing the scene as total annihilation. Official Lebanese sources have yet to provide details on the number of casualties.
Sources, in turn, report that Hashem Safi ad-Din died.
Hezbollah is a Shiite militant and political organization founded in Lebanon in the 1980s with the support of Iran. It actively opposes Israel, participating in military conflicts and exerting significant influence on Lebanese politics. Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by several Western countries, but also has support among part of the Shiite population of Lebanon.