Israel announces that recent military operations have nearly decimated Hezbollah’s military leadership. Explore the details and the potential impact on the group’s operational capabilities.
Following the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in the Beirut compound bombing, West Jerusalem officials have claimed that recent Israeli airstrikes have eliminated almost the entirety of Hezbollah’s military leadership.
In a post on X on Saturday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry published a military command map purportedly for Hezbollah. All 18 senior members, including Nasrallah and Hezbollah’s Southern Front commander Ali Karaki, as well as the heads of several units, are said to have been “eliminated.”
Another post from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) lists 11 senior Hezbollah members, 10 of whom are also listed as having been “eliminated.” According to the list, the only one who remains alive so far is Abu Ali Ridha, commander of the Bader unit. The IDF list was largely identical to the ministry’s, but included two more names: Hezbollah’s rocket and missile force commander Ibrahim Muhammad Kabisi, and air force commander Hussein Suroor, both presumed dead.
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Israel appeared to trumpet its success against Hezbollah after announcing that Nasrallah had been killed in a powerful airstrike in Beirut. Nasrallah, who led the group for more than three decades, is widely seen as a symbol of resistance to Israel and has overseen Hezbollah’s growth in power and influence.
Hours after West Jerusalem announced it had killed the group’s leader, Hezbollah confirmed his death and vowed “jihad in the fight against our enemies, in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defense of Lebanon and its loyal and honorable people.” It is currently unclear who Nasrallah’s successor will be.
