Israel-Hezbollah War: From Pager Blasts To Nasrallah Killing, How Israel Wreaked World's Most Powerful Non-State Army

Israel, whose Prime Minister Netanyahu declared on October 7 last that his 'nation is at war and will avenge 1,200 people killed by Hamas', has annihilated one of its adversaries and the world's most powerful non-state armed group, Hezbollah in just five days of announced operations. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah since 1992, was killed by massive bombings by Israeli Air Force jets on Friday evening in Lebanon's Beirut, an area considered safe in the conflict-marred country, marking the culmination of Israel's decimation of Hezbollah.

Israel announced a full-time operation against Hezbollah on September 23, eleven months after the brutal attack on the Jewish nation by Iran-backed Hamas on October 7, 2023. In just five days, Israel managed to pinpoint the Hezbollah chief and kill him. Not only Nasrallah, but Tel Aviv neutralised almost the whole top leadership of Hezbollah in the last five days.

Israel-Hezbollah War 2024: A Timeline

The latest Middle East conflict erupted after Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, and killed over 1200 people including civilians and armed personnel. It also took many as hostages, initiating a war with Israel which culminated in the wiping of both Hamas and Hezbollah leadership. The Israeli fallout with Nasrallah-led Hezbollah started when the Lebanese group launched an armed operation in northern Israel in retaliation to the Gaza strike by Tel Aviv.

11 Months To Wipe Out Hamas, 5-Days To Hezbollah

“Hamas made a grave mistake this morning and started a war against the State of Israel," Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Defence Minister had announced on the eve of Hamas's butchering of Israeli citizens on October 7. From that day onwards to September 2024, Israel devoted all its might to locating and neutralising Hamas leadership and its fighters in Gaza and other provinces. At least 35,000 Palestinians have lost their lives since the break of the war in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the Israeli intelligence agencies, including Mossad prepared a draft to retaliate against the Hezbollah which had entered the Gaza war without an invitation. The first mighty blow to Hassan Nasrallah's group came on September 17 when the walkie-talkies and pagers used by Hezbollah operatives exploded, creating country-wide chaos with at least 15 fighters reported dead and over 3,000 injured.

It later came to light that all the devices were rigged with three grams of explosives each even before they reached Lebanon, a sophisticated act which only Mossad could pull.

The next day, September 18 witnessed one more series of blasts in other electronic devices including solar panels and even laptops, killing many Hezbollah members. More than 50 were killed and over 4,000 injured in the two days of mysterious explosions all across Lebanon. More importantly over 1,500 Hezbollah fighters became physically impaired, with some losing eyes to some hands.

The unthinkable blow left Hezbollah leadership in disarray and fighters in mayhem. However, the Israeli attacks also made sure that the Lebanon group remained out of communication among itself, a tactic which immensely benefitted the Israel Defence Forces in the next phase.

From Commanders To Nasrallah: The Last Leg

The isolation of Hezbollah fighters helped Israel in carrying targeted strikes deep within the Asian country - targeting senior commanders and armed establishments - the locations of which were pinpointed by Mossad, reportedly with the help of its Western allies.

List of Hezbollah Commanders Killed by Israel in the Last Five Days

Ibrahim Muhammad Qabisi - Hezbollah's missile and rockets force head

Ibrahim Aqil - Hezbollah's operations commander

Fuad Shukr - Chief Of Hezbollah Military (Killed on July 30)

Ali Karaki - Commander of Hezbollah's southern front

Wissam al Tawil - Deputy head of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force

Abu Hassan Samir - Another Radwan force commander

The non-stop action by the IDF did not let Hezbollah cover its shortfalls within such a short period and led to further deterioration within the Lebanese militia.

The Final Act: Nasrallah's No More

The final act of Israel's attacks against Hezbollah came on September 27 when the Israeli air force carried out its biggest attack against the adversary. The underground headquarters of Hezbollah considered one of the most secure places in Beirut, was targeted by a barrage of fighter jets. The massive strike flattened the structure, killing Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah and Iran's proxy against Israel.

(Image: Reuters)

Which Side Suffered How Much

Hezbollah lost over 500 men since the beginning of the conflict with Israel, with most of its top leadership wiped out. Israel also suffered a few casualties, with most of them being civilians, injured and killed in Hezbollah rocket attacks in northern Israel. However, over 700 civilians lost their lives in Israeli attacks in Lebanon.