A series of intense airstrikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs from late Saturday into Sunday, eyewitnesses told Reuters. The strikes, which lasted nearly 30 minutes, sent powerful booms across the city, with flashes of red and white visible from several kilometers away.

The bombardment followed days of Israeli airstrikes targeting areas in Beirut known to be strongholds of Hezbollah, an Iran-backed armed group. The strikes resulted in the death of Hezbollah’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and possibly his likely successor.

Lebanese security sources confirmed that Hashem Safieddine, Nasrallah’s potential successor, has been unreachable since Friday following an Israeli airstrike near Beirut’s international airport, which is believed to have been aimed at him.

The Israeli military confirmed that it had killed Nasrallah during a strike on Hezbollah’s central command headquarters in Beirut on September 27, a claim that Hezbollah later confirmed.

Since Friday, Israeli strikes on Dahiyeh, a densely populated residential area south of central Beirut and a Hezbollah stronghold, have hampered rescue efforts following a previous attack on Thursday night. Hezbollah has yet to comment on Safieddine's status.

Losing Safieddine would deal a significant blow to Hezbollah and its Iranian backers, as Israeli airstrikes have systematically targeted and decimated the group’s leadership in recent months.

Israel has recently intensified its military operations in Lebanon. On Saturday, for the first time, Israeli forces launched a strike on the northern city of Tripoli, according to a Lebanese security official. Israeli troops have also been conducting raids in southern Lebanon.

At least eight airstrikes rocked Beirut’s southern suburbs late on Saturday, including areas near the airport, following warnings from the Israeli military for some residents to evacuate. Previously, exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah had been largely confined to border areas, parallel to Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari reported on Saturday that Israeli forces had killed 440 Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon and destroyed over 2,000 of the group’s targets. Hezbollah has not provided any casualty figures.

The Israeli government has stated that its heightened offensive against Hezbollah is aimed at ensuring the safe return of tens of thousands of Israelis who were displaced from northern Israel due to bombardments by the group since October 8. Israeli authorities confirmed that nine Israeli soldiers have died in the fighting in southern Lebanon.