BEIRUT (AP) — Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is a monumental and hugely demoralizing blow to the group he led for 32 years, marking a significant inflection point for Lebanon and the region.
Hezbollah’s announcement of his death Friday triggered tears and celebrations across the Arab world, pointing to the widespread reach and influence of a divisive man who has been at the forefront of Middle Eastern politics for decades.
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Kashmiri Shiite Muslims holds flag of Hezbollah during a protest against the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)
Supporters of a Pakistani Shiite Muslim group 'Imamia Student Organization' hold the portrait of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, during a protest against the killing of him, in Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Supporters of a Pakistani Shiite Muslim group 'Imamia Student Organization' shout slogans during a protest against the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Families fleeing the Israeli airstrikes, react to the news of the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
A man reacts after hearing the news of the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A woman reacts after hearing the news of the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A woman reacts to the news of the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
An Iranian demonstrator holds up a poster of the leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group Hassan Nasrallah in a gathering to support Hezbollah at the Felestin (Palestine) Square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A man carries a damaged bicycle at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Saksakieh, south Lebanon, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
The damaged building at the site of an Israeli airstrike, seen from the shattered window of a car, in Beirut's southern suburb, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Rescuers check a building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
An Israeli Air Force Black Hawk helicopter flies over the Mediterranean Sea near the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Yam, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
An Israeli fighter jet is seen from Haifa, northern Israel, on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
Displaced women and children sit in a classroom in Beirut, after fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in the south, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Displaced children play in a classroom at a school, in Beirut, after fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in the south with their families, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Rescuers check a building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Residents and rescuers check a building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
In this photo taken from video provided by Adar E Goldenberg, traces of presumably an attacking missile, right, and air defense missile, left, are seen in the air in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. Hezbollah hurled dozens of projectiles into Israel early Wednesday, including a missile aimed at Tel Aviv that was the militant group's deepest strike yet and marked a further escalation after Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed hundreds of people. (Adar E Goldenberg via AP)
A woman reacts at the scene of an Israeli airstrike in the town of Maisara, north of Beirut, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Emergency workers arrive at the scene of an Israeli airstrike in the town of Maisara, north of Beirut, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
People look at a damaged house that was hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, near Safed, northern Israel, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo//Leo Correa)
Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in the southern village of Kfar Rouman, seen from Marjayoun, south Lebanon, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
An Israeli firefighters plane uses a fire retardant to extinguish a fire after a rocket fired from Lebanon hit an open area near the city of Safed, northern Israel, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike north of Beirut, in the village of Ras Osta, Byblos district, seen from Maaysrah, Lebanon, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes on villages in the Nabatiyeh district, seen from the southern town of Marjayoun, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Cars sit in traffic in the southern city of Sidon, as they flee the southern villages amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, in northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
Women and children fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in the south, arrive at a school turned into a shelter in Beirut, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
People fleeing the southern villages amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, sit on the sidewalk outside a school in Sidon, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
A ranger works to extinguish a fire after a rocket fired from Lebanon hit an open field in northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo//Leo Correa)
A Lebanese army soldier sits behind his weapon on the top of an armored personnel carrier at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
People fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in the south, sit at a school turned into a shelter in Beirut, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Journalists are given a tour at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
People fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in the south, arrive at a school turned into a shelter in Beirut, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Cars sit in traffic as they flee the southern villages amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, in Sidon, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
A woman, who fled the Israeli airstrikes in the south, reacts as she arrives at a school turned into a shelter in Beirut, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
People fleeing the southern villages amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, stand outside a school turned into a shelter in Sidon, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
Civil defense workers carry an elderly, fleeing the south, as he arrives at a school turned into a shelter in Beirut, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
A man watches rescuers sift through the rubble as they search for people still missing at the site of Friday's Israeli strike in Beirut's southern suburbs, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon into northern Israel, as seen from Hadera, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
Ambulances arrive to evacuate the wounded near the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Ambulances arrive to evacuate the wounded near the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
A woman feeds her newborn in a car in Sidon, Lebanon, as she flees the southern villages amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
Cars sit in traffic as people flee the southern villages amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, in Sidon, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
Lebanese soldiers stand guard near the site of Friday's Israeli strike in Beirut's southern suburb, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
An emergency worker speaks on the phone during rescue efforts at the site of Friday's Israeli strike in Beirut's southern suburb, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Emergency workers clear the rubble at the site of Friday's Israeli strike in Beirut's southern suburb, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Hezbollah supporters march behind the hearse carrying the coffins of Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Akil and militant Mahmoud Hamad during their funeral procession in Beirut's southern suburb, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Police officers inspect a car inside of which a hand-held pager exploded, Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Lebanese soldiers and firefighters gather outside a mobile shop after what is believed to be the result of a walkie-talkie exploding inside it, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
This video grab, shows a walkie-talkie that was exploded inside a house, in Baalbek, east Lebanon, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo)
Israelis take cover next to a shelter as a siren sounds a warning of incoming rockets fired from Lebanon, in Nahariya, northern Israel, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
Women sit in a cemetery as they visit the graves of killed Hezbollah members in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A man comforts a boy crying during the funeral procession of Hezbollah members in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept a rocket fired from Lebanon, in northern Israel, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Rescuers carry a body at the scene of a missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Residents look on as rescuers arrive at the scene of an Israeli missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
People stand on top of a damaged car at the scene of a missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Rescuers carry a body at the scene of a missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
People gather at the scene of an Israeli missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
A man who was injured in the explosion of one of the handheld devices, sits outside the Eye Specialist hospital, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Hezbollah members carry the coffin of their comrade who was killed when a handheld device exploded, during a funeral procession in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
The 64-year-old Nasrallah headed arguably the most powerful paramilitary force in the world — also a U.S.-designated terror organization — that is now left without a clear successor at a critical juncture. It remains to be seen whether his death will be a trigger for an all-out war between the two sides that could potentially drag in Iran and the United States.
Here are some things to know about the situation:
Nasrallah’s assassination is a severe blow to the group, not a decapitating one. But analysts say Hezbollah will need some time to absorb the shock and recover.
“Nasrallah’s killing is a significant setback for Hezbollah, not only because of the pivotal role he played in Hezbollah’s strategy but also because his elimination reveals the extent of the group’s vulnerability vis-à-vis Israel,” said Lina Khatib, an associate fellow at Chatham House, an international affairs think tank.
“This will shake the confidence of Hezbollah’s Iran-backed allies across the Arab world, from the Houthis in Yemen to the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq, as well as Iran itself, sparking a tectonic shift in Iran’s network of influence in the Middle East,” she added.
It is not the first time Israel has killed a Hezbollah leader. Nasrallah took over from Abbas Mousawi, who was killed by an Israeli helicopter attack in 1992.
But Hezbollah today is very different from the ragtag organization it was in the ’90s. In recent years, he has presided over an army-like group estimated to have tens of thousands of fighters and a sophisticated arsenal capable of reaching anywhere inside Israel.
It has become the chief part of a cluster of Iranian-backed factions and governments of the self-named “Axis of Resistance.”
“Hezbollah will not back down following the killing of its leader, as it will need to convey steadfastness in the face of Israel if it’s going to retain its credibility as the strongest ‘resistance’ actor in the region,” said Khatib.
In his first remarks Saturday following Nasrallah’s death, Iran’s supreme leader gave no indication of how Tehran will respond.
In a vague statement, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, “all regional resistance forces” support and stand beside Hezbollah, but he did not elaborate.
Iran is the main backer of Hezbollah and other anti-Israeli militant groups in the region, but it has largely avoided clashing directly with Israel due to domestic considerations.
Hezbollah, however, is Iran’s chief ally and proxy group, and Tehran may have to respond to retain its credibility with its partners in the axis.
“Iran is very much in a policy dilemma right now,” said Firas Maksad, of the Middle East Institute. On one hand, clearly it very much has wanted to avoid an all-out and direct confrontation, given its long-standing preference for asymmetric warfare and using proxies.
“But on the other hand, a lack of a worthy response given the magnitude of the event will only encourage Israel to push deeper past Iran’s red lines,” he said. Not responding also sends a signal of weakness to its regional proxies.
Any direct Iranian involvement risks dragging Israel’s chief ally, the U.S., into the war, just over a month before the U.S. elections and at a time Iran has signaled its interest in renewing negotiations with the U.S. over its nuclear program.
Maksad said one possible scenario is a coordinated response from the entire axis. Whether that will be coupled with a direct response from Iran itself is an open question.
There is no one nearly as influential and respected among the group’s remaining leadership as Nasrallah.
The man widely regarded as his heir is Hashem Safieddine, a cousin of Nasrallah who oversees the group's political affairs. It is not known if he survived Friday’s attack, and the Hezbollah statement announcing Nasrallah’s death Friday made no mention of a successor.
The group’s Shura Council will have to meet in the coming days or weeks to choose its new leadership. Lebanese journalist and writer Maher Abi Nader said Safieddine or Nabil Kaouk, a member of the group’s executive council, were the likely successors.
Whoever ends up replacing Nasrallah in the current atmosphere will have to contend with a deeply weakened force facing growing anger and frustration on the home front.
In just over 10 days, the Iran-backed group has been hit by a series of devastating attacks that dealt a severe blow to its military structure and exposed deep intelligence failures.
Explosives hidden in the group’s pagers and walkie-talkies killed dozens of people and wounded thousands — many of them Hezbollah members. Israel has also rained down missiles on residential areas where the group has a strong presence, killing hundreds and displacing tens of thousands of people.
Nasrallah was regarded by supporters as a charismatic and shrewd leader. Despite being a divisive figure, he is credited with pushing Israeli forces from south Lebanon in 2000 following an 18-year occupation, as well as transforming the organization from a local militia to a major political player in Lebanon and a top armed force in the region.
He held tremendous sway over the group and the country’s Shiite community.
Orna Mizrahi, a senior researcher at the Tel Aviv-based think tank Institute for National Security Studies, noted that Nasrallah was sometimes a “voice of reason” who was interested in engaging Israel in a war of attrition, holding the militant group back from using the full force of their formidable arsenal against Israel.
Filling those shoes will be a tough act, analysts say.
Any new Hezbollah leader will also have to contend with rising resentment and frustration among a significant section of the Lebanese population. For years, critics say, Hezbollah deprived Lebanon of its sovereignty by behaving as a state within a state and making unilateral decisions involving war and peace.
Many Christians and Sunnis, as well as a portion of the Shiite community, are opposed to the war and what they regard as Nasrallah’s unilateral decision to attack Israel in support of the Gaza front on Oct. 8, a day after the Hamas attack on Israel that ignited the war in the Palestinian territory.
Tensions are extremely high in tiny Lebanon, which is already drowning under the force of an economic meltdown and multiple other crises. A humanitarian crisis has rapidly unfolded with tens of thousands of people displaced, many of them sleeping in parks and makeshift shelters. Dozens of schools designated as sheltered became full within days.
The country is bankrupt and has been without a president and functioning government for two years. In the void, sectarian tensions and frustrations within the country could spiral into armed violence.
Maha Yahya, director of the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Center, said Hezbollah now has to contend with all of that as it struggles to regroup.
“And it will have to be more accommodating to Lebanon’s other political parties and communities,” she said.
Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut and Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem contributed reporting.
Kashmiri Shiite Muslims holds flag of Hezbollah during a protest against the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)
Supporters of a Pakistani Shiite Muslim group 'Imamia Student Organization' hold the portrait of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, during a protest against the killing of him, in Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Supporters of a Pakistani Shiite Muslim group 'Imamia Student Organization' shout slogans during a protest against the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Families fleeing the Israeli airstrikes, react to the news of the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
A man reacts after hearing the news of the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A woman reacts after hearing the news of the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A woman reacts to the news of the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
An Iranian demonstrator holds up a poster of the leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group Hassan Nasrallah in a gathering to support Hezbollah at the Felestin (Palestine) Square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A man carries a damaged bicycle at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Saksakieh, south Lebanon, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
The damaged building at the site of an Israeli airstrike, seen from the shattered window of a car, in Beirut's southern suburb, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Rescuers check a building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
An Israeli Air Force Black Hawk helicopter flies over the Mediterranean Sea near the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Yam, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
An Israeli fighter jet is seen from Haifa, northern Israel, on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
Displaced women and children sit in a classroom in Beirut, after fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in the south, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Displaced children play in a classroom at a school, in Beirut, after fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in the south with their families, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Rescuers check a building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Residents and rescuers check a building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
In this photo taken from video provided by Adar E Goldenberg, traces of presumably an attacking missile, right, and air defense missile, left, are seen in the air in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. Hezbollah hurled dozens of projectiles into Israel early Wednesday, including a missile aimed at Tel Aviv that was the militant group's deepest strike yet and marked a further escalation after Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed hundreds of people. (Adar E Goldenberg via AP)
A woman reacts at the scene of an Israeli airstrike in the town of Maisara, north of Beirut, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Emergency workers arrive at the scene of an Israeli airstrike in the town of Maisara, north of Beirut, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
People look at a damaged house that was hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, near Safed, northern Israel, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo//Leo Correa)
Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in the southern village of Kfar Rouman, seen from Marjayoun, south Lebanon, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
An Israeli firefighters plane uses a fire retardant to extinguish a fire after a rocket fired from Lebanon hit an open area near the city of Safed, northern Israel, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike north of Beirut, in the village of Ras Osta, Byblos district, seen from Maaysrah, Lebanon, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes on villages in the Nabatiyeh district, seen from the southern town of Marjayoun, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Cars sit in traffic in the southern city of Sidon, as they flee the southern villages amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, in northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
Women and children fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in the south, arrive at a school turned into a shelter in Beirut, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
People fleeing the southern villages amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, sit on the sidewalk outside a school in Sidon, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
A ranger works to extinguish a fire after a rocket fired from Lebanon hit an open field in northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo//Leo Correa)
A Lebanese army soldier sits behind his weapon on the top of an armored personnel carrier at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
People fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in the south, sit at a school turned into a shelter in Beirut, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Journalists are given a tour at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
People fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in the south, arrive at a school turned into a shelter in Beirut, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Cars sit in traffic as they flee the southern villages amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, in Sidon, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
A woman, who fled the Israeli airstrikes in the south, reacts as she arrives at a school turned into a shelter in Beirut, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
People fleeing the southern villages amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, stand outside a school turned into a shelter in Sidon, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
Civil defense workers carry an elderly, fleeing the south, as he arrives at a school turned into a shelter in Beirut, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
A man watches rescuers sift through the rubble as they search for people still missing at the site of Friday's Israeli strike in Beirut's southern suburbs, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon into northern Israel, as seen from Hadera, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
Ambulances arrive to evacuate the wounded near the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Ambulances arrive to evacuate the wounded near the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
A woman feeds her newborn in a car in Sidon, Lebanon, as she flees the southern villages amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
Cars sit in traffic as people flee the southern villages amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, in Sidon, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
Lebanese soldiers stand guard near the site of Friday's Israeli strike in Beirut's southern suburb, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
An emergency worker speaks on the phone during rescue efforts at the site of Friday's Israeli strike in Beirut's southern suburb, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Emergency workers clear the rubble at the site of Friday's Israeli strike in Beirut's southern suburb, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Hezbollah supporters march behind the hearse carrying the coffins of Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Akil and militant Mahmoud Hamad during their funeral procession in Beirut's southern suburb, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Police officers inspect a car inside of which a hand-held pager exploded, Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Lebanese soldiers and firefighters gather outside a mobile shop after what is believed to be the result of a walkie-talkie exploding inside it, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
This video grab, shows a walkie-talkie that was exploded inside a house, in Baalbek, east Lebanon, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo)
Israelis take cover next to a shelter as a siren sounds a warning of incoming rockets fired from Lebanon, in Nahariya, northern Israel, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
Women sit in a cemetery as they visit the graves of killed Hezbollah members in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A man comforts a boy crying during the funeral procession of Hezbollah members in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept a rocket fired from Lebanon, in northern Israel, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Rescuers carry a body at the scene of a missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Residents look on as rescuers arrive at the scene of an Israeli missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
People stand on top of a damaged car at the scene of a missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Rescuers carry a body at the scene of a missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
People gather at the scene of an Israeli missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
A man who was injured in the explosion of one of the handheld devices, sits outside the Eye Specialist hospital, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Hezbollah members carry the coffin of their comrade who was killed when a handheld device exploded, during a funeral procession in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
