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Israel has announced that they have conducted a targeted airstrike on Hezbollah’s central headquarters in Beirut, leading to a massive explosion that destroyed multiple buildings and resulted in casualties.

What’s the deal: According to the IDF, they carried out a precision airstrike on Hezbollah’s central headquarters in the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Beirut, targeting what they described as the epicenter of Hezbollah’s operations. The strike resulted in massive explosions that destroyed six buildings, which the IDF stated were intentionally built under residential structures as part of Hezbollah’s strategy to use civilians as human shields. The strike reportedly targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, although this has not been officially verified.

Casualties: Lebanon’s Health Ministry has provided an initial casualty count from the strike, saying that two people were killed and 76 others were injured. However, the number is expected to rise significantly.

Iran responds: The Iranian embassy in Lebanon called Israel’s strike on Beirut a “dangerous game-changing escalation” and that Israel would receive “an appropriate punishment.”

Netanyahu in the US: The Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah’s central headquarters in Beirut occurred just before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly, where he emphasized Israel’s right to eliminate the threat posed by Hezbollah. As news of the strike reached Netanyahu, he quickly ended a briefing with reporters and, in a significant move, announced that he would cut short his visit to the United States and return to Israel earlier than planned.