Most Israelis assumed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah stayed hidden underground until his death, yet Col. (res.) S., head of the IDF unit Nahalat Binyamin, corrected this view in a rare interview with Maariv.

From the end of the Second Lebanon War in August 2006 until Operation New Order, in which Nasrallah was killed on September 27, 2024, the prevailing belief held that the Hezbollah chief remained concealed in a deep bunker. Reports over the years suggested he rarely surfaced and that his speeches were pre-recorded for broadcast.

Col. S. refuted that notion and provided fresh details on the assassination strike.

Nahalat Binyamin serves as the codename for the Israeli Air Force unit that develops and executes all Air Force strike operations throughout the Middle East and globally when required. It functions as the primary target bank prepared by the IDF for every arena of conflict.

In the Nasrallah operation we released 83 bombs. The same quantity was dropped on his successor Sayyed Hashem Safieddine two weeks later, Col. S. stated.

We tracked Nasrallah for an extended period. We knew his apartments, his wife residence, emergency sites, and hiding locations. Yet most of the time he was not underground. At times Nasrallah stayed in a penthouse on the eighth floor of a residential building in Dahiyeh. When concealment was needed he used a dedicated elevator installed for him.

He may have lived in a bunker from an ideological standpoint, but in practice he was not below ground constantly. Operationally this made little difference to us. We could eliminate him in any bunker entered. Strike plans existed for every structure and bunker.

Nasrallah Selected Particular Bunker on Day of Killing

Regarding the fatal operation the officer noted that the Hezbollah leader possessed better protected sites available that day yet chose the specific bunker where he was eliminated.

The location was described as a deep shelter beneath a multi-story residential building.

The strike itself lasted only seconds. Aircraft launched missiles designed to trap occupants inside the bunker with no route for escape.

Before the attack Col. S. consulted the commander of the Home Front Command rescue unit.

I asked how long his personnel would require to reach a site like Nasrallah bunker. He replied they could extract trapped individuals within six hours. I understood that Lebanese forces were less organized and therefore I needed to block access to the site for 12 hours to stop rescue attempts. We aimed to ensure Nasrallah death either from the direct impact or from blood loss and oxygen deprivation.

According to Col. S. the strike hit not only the bunker but also destroyed the entire residential building above it.

After the strike a motorcycle arrived and individuals attempted entry through a nearby shaft. Shortly afterward a bulldozer was brought to clear rubble. We struck the bulldozer. A second bulldozer arrived and was also destroyed. The third bulldozer never appeared.

Additional Hezbollah Leaders Targeted by IAF

Nasrallah was not the first senior Hezbollah figure eliminated. Earlier Fuad Shukr known as Sayyed Mohsen was killed at his mistress apartment in Beirut during July 2024.

Based on images received his mistress appeared attractive, Lt.-Col. S. remarked. He maintained a long-term relationship with her. We knew his visit times and durations. The affair continued for several years and we remained aware of it throughout. He held a central role in Hezbollah and we recognized that his removal would deliver a severe blow to the organization. We decided to strike the apartment upon his arrival. The attack proved precise and powerful resulting in death from the impact.

A more complex operation involved the elimination of Ibrahim Aqil Hezbollah operations chief and Radwan Force commander on September 20 2024. Although the target was killed extensive collateral damage occurred and a building collapsed from the strike force.

When asked the next day to eliminate Ali Karaki Hezbollah southern front commander we received instructions to reduce munitions size to limit collateral damage Col. S. revealed.

We struck the apartment where he hid in Dahiyeh. Unfortunately he sustained only wounds and Hezbollah quickly moved him to Nasrallah bunker. He stayed there another week until killed alongside Nasrallah in the same location.

The elimination of Nasrallah successor Hashem Safieddine also proved dramatic. It occurred days after he assumed the position and he too died in a bunker strike.

In that instance we also fired 83 missiles yet the operation proved far more demanding Col. S. said.

We studied methods to strike the tunnel and block every escape route once the attack began. Hours were spent on planning yet certainty remained incomplete. At one point an officer inverted the bunker map and suddenly a clearer picture emerged.