The newspaper published the account to mark the second anniversary of the operation, citing two officers from Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate and Air Force who were involved in planning the strike.
The head of the Lebanon targets division in Military Intelligence, identified by the newspaper as Major “G”, said an intelligence team had closely studied Nasrallah during the two years before the attack, working with units including 8200 and 9900 to build a detailed picture of his movements and decision-making.
An Israeli Air Force operations officer, Major (res.) “R”, said the military had known Nasrallah’s location even before the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks. He said the fortified underground nature of the site was one reason Israel used about 83 tonnes of bombs in the strike.
According to the Israeli account, Nasrallah initially believed Israel’s main focus after the outbreak of the war was Gaza. He continued directing Hezbollah while strengthening security measures but did not anticipate that the confrontation would develop into a full-scale war, the officers said.
They said that assessment contributed to his decision to remain at a location that Israeli intelligence already knew about rather than move to another site.
The report also said the explosions involving Hezbollah’s pager network and the killing of several senior members created significant disruption within the group. The developments prompted Nasrallah to reassess communications, security procedures and movements, it said.
Major “G” said his team worked to accelerate approval for the operation before Nasrallah could relocate. The strike was carried out when Israeli planners considered the intelligence and operational circumstances favorable, he said.
Major “R” described the killing as a turning point in the conflict along the Lebanon front and claimed that Hezbollah’s capabilities had subsequently declined significantly compared with their level on Oct. 8, 2023.
The Israeli officer said Israel would continue targeting people who publicly call for its destruction, referring to Hezbollah’s leadership, including Nasrallah’s successor Naim Qassem, as well as Iranian figures including Mojtaba Khamenei.
The accounts published by Yedioth Ahronoth represent the Israeli military and intelligence perspective on the operation. Hezbollah and Iranian officials may dispute elements of the account or provide a different explanation of the events.