Israeli Airstrike on Lebanon: A Local Photographer’s Scenes from Hell

The destructive power is equivalent to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

The building in the center of Dahiyeh, south of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, has disappeared without a trace, leaving a huge crater-like hole that extends deep into the ground.

As tensions in the Middle East region rise, the damage from Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon is growing. The fighting between the Palestinian armed group Hamas and Israel began last October. Israel has launched large-scale operations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and in late September of this year, it began air strikes in the neighboring country of Lebanon. This is the first time Israel has attacked Lebanon since 2006.

The Israelis launched a large-scale airstrike targeting Hezbollah, a Lebanese Islamist organization that has attacked Israel in solidarity with Hamas. To date, more than 2,300 civilians have been killed. Hezbollah’s supreme leader, Hassan Nasrallah, as well as other senior leaders and fighters were killed,” said a reporter stationed in a major media outlet.

Ramzi Mansour, a local photographer who photographed the scene of Nasrallah’s murder, which was described at the beginning of this article, where a large hole had been made in the ground.

The attackers were hiding in an office on the eighth basement floor of the building. They used 80 U.S. Bunker Busters, which are ground penetrating bombs. The destructive power of these bombs is said to be equivalent to that of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The building was instantly blown to pieces and Nasrallah was left helpless and suffocated to death.

In addition to the “bunker buster,” many other highly destructive weapons were used. International journalist Toshihiro Yamada said, “The 2000-pound bomb ‘MK’ was used in the attack.

About 70% of the weapons used by Israel, including the MK-84, a 2,000-pound bomb, are made in the United States. In addition, highly accurate information gathered by U.S. satellite images and Western intelligence agencies is shared. Israel is in an overwhelmingly superior position in terms of both military and intelligence.

Iran, which is behind Hamas and Hezbollah, fired a missile at Israel in October. About three weeks later, Israel launched a counterattack. Yamada points out.

If the two countries go to war, there is a danger that Iran will begin manufacturing nuclear weapons. The key point will be the U.S. presidential election on November 5. If Mr. Trump, who is averse to military intervention, is elected president, he could lead Israel to a cease-fire agreement in the conflict, but if Mr. Harris continues the line of President Biden, we cannot hold our breath.

The “hellscape” in the Middle East continues to expand.

From the November 15, 2024 issue of FRIDAY