IDF Releases Footage of Airstrike That Eliminated Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah

By: Fern Sidman

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have publicly released footage of the airstrike that eliminated Hezbollah’s longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah, last September. According to a report that appeared on Sunday at i24News, this revelation follows recent aerial operations by Israeli warplanes over Lebanon, where they flew at low altitudes over Hezbollah supporters, highlighting the IDF’s continued military pressure on the terrorist organization. The Israeli military had previously warned Lebanese civilians against attending Nasrallah’s funeral, a warning that was largely ignored by Hezbollah loyalists.

As reported by i24News, local sources indicated that a significant portion of Lebanon’s Shi’ite population attended Nasrallah’s funeral, with estimates suggesting that approximately 10 percent of attendees were foreigners. This reflects the extensive regional support network that Hezbollah has cultivated under Nasrallah’s leadership, which spanned over three decades. Since taking over Hezbollah in 1992, following Israel’s elimination of his predecessor Abbas al-Musawi, Nasrallah transformed the group into a formidable regional power, significantly enhancing its military capabilities. Under his command, Hezbollah acquired long-range rockets capable of striking deep into Israel, intensifying the threat against Israeli civilian populations.

The escalation between Israel and Hezbollah reached a critical point on October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah launched coordinated rocket and drone attacks against northern Israel, just a day after Hamas orchestrated a deadly massacre in southern Israel. The subsequent military confrontation saw an increase in Israeli retaliatory operations, culminating in a sophisticated cyber and electronic warfare campaign against Hezbollah. The i24News report detailed that one of the most consequential actions taken by the IDF was an unprecedented cyber attack in September that targeted Hezbollah’s communications infrastructure, significantly weakening the group’s operational capabilities and maiming thousands of its operatives.

A few days later another precision Israeli strike disrupted Hezbollah’s two-way radio communication networks, further hampering the terror organization’s ability to coordinate attacks, according to thei24News report. By the end of September, Israeli intelligence pinpointed Nasrallah’s location in an underground bunker where he was meeting with senior Hezbollah leaders. A subsequent targeted airstrike successfully eliminated the longtime leader, marking a significant victory for Israeli counterterrorism efforts.

Following Nasrallah’s death the dynamics of Hezbollah’s military operations drastically changed. When Israeli ground forces launched their invasion of southern Lebanon in October, they encountered a Hezbollah force that was far weaker and more fragmented than before, the report at i24News indicated. Once a highly organized and disciplined paramilitary entity, Hezbollah was thrown into disarray following the IDF’s systematic destruction of much of its military infrastructure south of the Litani River. The Israeli offensive dealt a significant blow to Hezbollah’s operational effectiveness, crippling its ability to mount a coordinated resistance against advancing Israeli troops.

The IDF’s release of the footage serves as a strategic message to Hezbollah and its regional allies, demonstrating Israel’s military superiority and intelligence capabilities. The elimination of Nasrallah has left Hezbollah leaderless and weakened, forcing the group into a defensive posture amid increasing Israeli pressure.