Beirut — Lebanon has been plunged into turmoil after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs killed senior Hezbollah leader Mohammad Raad, head of the group’s parliamentary bloc, in what analysts are calling one of the most consequential assassinations since the 2006 war.

Residents in Dahiyeh reported a sudden roar of jets, followed by a massive explosion that shattered windows for blocks around a heavily guarded building long rumored to host high‑level Hezbollah meetings. Within hours, the group confirmed Raad’s “martyrdom,” vowing that Israel “will pay a price beyond anything it imagines.”

Footage from the scene shows blazing cars, collapsed facades and dazed survivors stumbling through smoke as sirens wail. Hospitals across Beirut have declared emergencies as casualties are rushed in, while Hezbollah supporters flood the streets chanting “Death to Israel” and calling for immediate retaliation.

In Jerusalem, Israeli officials are hailing a “precision strike on a central architect of Hezbollah’s war policy,” arguing that Raad was coordinating attacks along the northern border and deepening the group’s military ties with Iran. They insist the operation was “surgical,” targeting a legitimate command node in the heart of Beirut’s Hezbollah stronghold.

Regional capitals are on edge. Fears are growing that Hezbollah, already exchanging fire with Israel along the frontier, will now feel compelled to unleash a far wider rocket and missile campaign. The question hanging over Beirut, Tel Aviv and beyond: has Israel just removed a key strategist — or ignited a full-scale Lebanon–Israel war that neither side can easily stop?