Israeli killing of Hezbollah leader roils Lebanon, Iran
Israeli airstrikes killed Hassan Nasrallah and other top leaders of the militant group, escalating the chance of all-out war


What happened
On Sunday Israel attacked Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen and Hamas in Gaza, hitting the three Iran-backed proxies as it amassed troops along its northern border for a possible ground invasion of Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon over the weekend killed longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other top leaders of the militant group. Two weeks of Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,000 people in Lebanon, displaced up to a million others and nudged the region toward all-out war.
Who said what
Nasrallah's death is "major blow to Iran," weakening Tehran's "best armed and most well-equipped ally in the region," Reuters said. In a show of "nervousness by the Iranian authorities," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been "taken to a secure location." The crumbling of Hezbollah has opened "fissures" in Iran's government, The New York Times said. Significantly, Khamenei "signaled that it would be Hezbollah, not Iran," that struck back, suggesting he's choosing "lying low in the interest of self-preservation" over "all-out war with Israel."
Israel didn't just kill Nasrallah and his senior leadership team, it also "eviscerated decades of myths and assumptions about Hezbollah's military might" and its stature as a "regional powerhouse," The Washington Post said. Hezbollah "appears to have gravely overestimated its own strength and underestimated Israel's willingness to take it on" and the "extent to which Israeli intelligence had penetrated the organization."
What next?
Hezbollah may have "become a victim of its own hubris," The Wall Street Journal said, but "Israel now risks falling into a similar trap, especially if it launches a ground invasion of Lebanon," where Hezbollah "retains thousands of battle-hardened fighters and a large arsenal." Hezbollah is expected to pick Hashem Safieddine, head of its executive council and Nasrallah's cousin, as its new leader.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
How did Qatar become the world's peacemaker?
Today's Big Question Strong relationships, ideological pragmatism and neutral positioning has made the tiny Gulf state 'the diplomatic capital of the world'
-
Can Gaza aid drops work?
Today's Big Question UN's Palestinian refugee agency calls plan a 'distraction and smokescreen' as pressure mounts on Israel to agree ceasefire and fully open land crossings
-
Iran: Is regime change possible?
Feature The U.S.-Israeli attack exposed cracks in Iran's regime
-
'There are compelling arguments for and against homework'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump's strikes on Iran: a 'spectacular success'?
In Depth Military humiliations 'expose the brittleness' of Tehran's ageing regime, but risk reinforcing its commitment to its nuclear program
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump
-
Bibi's back: what will Netanyahu do next?
Today's Big Question Riding high after a series of military victories, Israel's PM could push for peace in Gaza – or secure his own position with snap election
-
Is Trump sidelining Congress' war powers?
Today's Big Question The Iran attack renews a long-running debate