Israel Intensifies Strikes Against Hezbollah in Lebanon After Killing Group’s Leader

A surge in Israeli air raids has rocked Lebanon, as the country’s military continued to pound Hezbollah targets in a bid to disable the group’s military operations and infrastructure. The strikes, which began on Saturday, have killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds, sparking widespread concern about the escalation of violence in the region.

The latest developments come after Hezbollah confirmed that its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Friday. The news marked a significant escalation in the conflict, which has seen near-daily cross-border exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah since October 7.

In a statement, the Israeli military said it had attacked dozens of "terrorist targets" in Lebanon over the past few hours, targeting buildings where weapons and military structures were stored. The military has also attacked hundreds of Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon since Saturday, it said.

Hezbollah’s killing of Nasrallah has sparked an outpouring of grief across the region, with Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, and Syria all declaring public mourning. The group’s supporters, meanwhile, have vowed to continue the fight against Israel.

The conflict has already displaced hundreds of thousands of people, with over 200,000 forced to flee their homes in Lebanon and more than 50,000 seeking refuge in neighboring Syria. The situation is particularly dire in south Beirut, where hundreds of families spent the night on the streets after air strikes pounded the area.

Netanyahu has vowed to keep fighting until the border with Lebanon is secured, while Iran has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to protest the killing of Nasrallah. The country’s first vice president, Mohammad Reza Aref, has also denounced the "unjust bloodshed" and threatened that Nasrallah’s killing will bring about Israel’s "destruction".

The conflict has already resulted in significant loss of life, with over 700 people killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since the bombardment of Hezbollah strongholds began earlier this month. The war in Gaza, which was triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, has also claimed the lives of at least 41,586 people, mostly civilians, according to the UN.

As the situation continues to deteriorate, analysts are warning of the potential for a wider conflict. "Either we see an unprecedented reaction by Hezbollah… or this is total defeat," said Heiko Wimmen of the International Crisis Group think tank.