Israel announced on Saturday that it had killed Hassan Nasrallah, the longtime leader of Hezbollah, in a powerful series of airstrikes that rocked Beirut on Friday evening. The Iranian-backed militia later confirmed Nasrallah鈥檚 death.
The announcement came after an eventful and deadly 12 days in the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah 鈥� including the killing of several other high-ranking Hezbollah officials and more than 1,000 people in Lebanon after a series of near-synchronized followed by thousands of Israeli airstrikes over several days. These attacks left thousands more wounded and displaced tens of thousands of people.
Hezbollah also retaliated against Israel, firing hundreds of rockets toward northern Israel, and at least one long-range cruise missile toward Tel Aviv, which was intercepted by Israel鈥檚 air defense system. It was the first time the militant group had ever done so. Although most of these projectiles were shot down, several did make it through, causing damage to residential homes, a regional hospital and injuring several civilians.
Here鈥檚 a more detailed timeline of how these dramatic events unfolded:
Sept. 17: Thousands of pagers 鈥� many belonging to Hezbollah members 鈥� killing at least 13 people, including some children, and injuring around 4,000, hundreds of them critically. Israel is widely believed to be behind the attack, but does not publicly take credit for it. Earlier in the day, Israel had announced a new goal in the war: to who had been driven from their homes near the border with Lebanon by almost a year of Hezbollah rocket fire, signaling it might take further military action against Hezbollah.
Sept. 18: of communications devices, including walkie-talkies, strikes Lebanon, killing 14 and wounding some 450, according to Lebanese health officials. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks about "excellent achievements" by Israel's military and intelligence branches leading to "impressive results," but does not mention the device attacks of the previous two days.
Sept. 19: Israel says it struck hundreds of rocket launchers in southern Lebanon, putting them out of commission.
Sept. 20: during rush hour, later announcing it has killed Ibrahim Akil, Hezbollah鈥檚 military commander. Thirty-seven people were killed in the strike, including entire families, and dozens were wounded. Hezbollah later confirmed Akil鈥檚 death, along with 15 other Hezbollah members. Akil had been wanted by the U.S. for involvement in a deadly attack on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in 1983, . The Israeli military said Akil was planning an attack on northern Israel, similar to the Hamas-led attack last Oct. 7 that sparked the war in Gaza.
Sept. 21: The Israeli Air Force strikes approximately 400 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, including rocket launchers and additional military infrastructure in southern Lebanon, saying that the launchers were aimed at Israel. Lebanon鈥檚 interior minister, Bassam Mawlawi, says its intelligence agencies are working to dismantle a spy network, saying that Lebanon is in a 鈥渄elicate and dangerous鈥� security climate.
Sept. 22: and into the early morning hours. In southern Lebanon, residents described huge explosions that lit up the night sky. The Israeli military said it hit some 290 targets, including Hezbollah rocket launchers, while some of Hezbollah鈥檚 rockets hit deeper into Israel than they have previously in this war.
Sept. 23: Israel calls on residents of southern Lebanon to leave only hours before blanketing the area with more than 1,300 airstrikes. Those strikes kill at least 558 people, including women, children and health care workers, and injure more than 1,800, according to Lebanon鈥檚 ministry of health. On the same day, Hezbollah fires around 200 rockets at northern Israel, most of which were intercepted by Israel鈥檚 aerial defense system. In the evening, Israel strikes an apartment in Beirut where Ali Karaki, Hezbollah鈥檚 southern front commander and third in the organization鈥檚 hierarchy, was staying. He survives.
Sirens sound in the northern Israeli city of Haifa and nearby towns. Israel said Haifa was targeted for the first time since the war began nearly a year ago.
Sept. 24: Hezbollah and Israel continue to trade fire through the night. Israel issues more warnings to residents in southern Lebanon to flee, while heavily bombarding the area with hundreds of additional airstrikes, killing dozens more 鈥� 鈥� and wounding many others. Iran鈥檚 president warns in that Lebanon must not become 鈥渁nother Gaza at the hands of Israel.鈥� Israel says a strike in Beirut killed the head of Hezbollah鈥檚 missile division, Ibrahim Kobeissi.
Sept. 25: Early in the morning, Hezbollah launches a long-range missile that reaches Tel Aviv airspace before being shot down by Israeli forces 鈥� the first time the militant group has launched a missile like this toward central Israel. , killing at least another 72 people and injuring about 400, according to Lebanese health officials. The Israeli military also announces it is calling up for the north, saying that it must 鈥減repare very strongly鈥� for a ground invasion into southern Lebanon.
Sept. 26: Amidst the backdrop of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the U.S. and France, backed by other members of the G-7, between Israel and Lebanon. Israeli officials, , are quick to reject it.
Hezbollah fires dozens of rockets toward northern Israel, most of which were intercepted, while , killing another 92 people and wounding more than 150, according to Lebanese health officials. This brings the total number of people killed in Lebanon by Israeli airstrikes during the week to more than 700. while fleeing Israel鈥檚 constant bombardment. Lebanese officials say it is the country鈥檚 largest displacement in decades.
Later, Israel says it has killed Hezbollah鈥檚 air force commander, Mohammed Hussein Sarour, in a strike in southern Beirut.
Sept. 27: In a fiery speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and would attack Iran and its proxies anywhere in the Middle East. Many of the delegates in the U.N. hall leave in a public snub at the start of 鈥� in which he calls the U.N. a "swamp of antisemitic bile."
Shortly after Netanyahu finishes speaking, in a series of blasts that can be felt around the city. The strikes demolished multiple residential buildings in southern Beirut, which Israeli officials almost immediately label the headquarters of Hezbollah, even as the smoke and debris clouds from the explosion rose above the city.
Sept. 28: Several hours later, the Israeli military announces that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in the strike in Beirut. . Analysts say the killing of Nasrallah has transformed an already complex and deadly regional conflict, with a broad array of potential outcomes for Israel, Gaza, Lebanon and beyond.
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