A video released by the Israeli Defense Forces reveals aircraft involved in the Friday night operation that eliminated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. According to munitions experts and an analysis by The New York Times, the planes used in the attack were armed with 2,000-pound bombs.

The footage displays eight aircraft equipped with a minimum of 15 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds each. Among these, the American-made BLU-109 bomb, outfitted with a JDAM precision guidance system, was identified, says Trevor Ball, a former U.S. Army explosive ordnance disposal expert. These bombs, known as bunker busters, are designed to pierce underground structures before detonating.

Wes Bryant, a former U.S. Air Force targeting expert, also examined the footage and confirmed the assessment. He communicated with The Times via text messages, stating that the bombs shown were “exactly what I would expect” for Israel’s reported strike on Nasrallah, who was said to be hiding in an underground Hezbollah command center.

Earlier in May, the Biden administration temporarily halted the delivery of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, citing concerns over civilian casualties in Gaza.

The video, shared on the Israeli military’s official Telegram account today, carried the caption: “Israeli Air Force Fighter Jets Involved in the Elimination of Hassan Nasrallah and Hezbollah’s Central Headquarters in Lebanon.” The footage reveals at least eight planes equipped with 2,000-pound bombs. While some aircraft were too distant for precise identification, those closer to the camera were clearly seen carrying BLU-109 bombs. The same model was visible as two jets took off, one of them armed with six bombs. Later in the video, a jet is shown returning to base at dusk, now devoid of any bombs.

Although the video does not depict the actual dropping of bombs, Mr. Ball noted that videos showing the subsequent explosions in Beirut’s heavily populated southern districts, along with the scale of the destruction, are consistent with the use of the 2,000-pound bombs seen in the video. An analysis by The New York Times, based on verified imagery, videos, and satellite data, confirmed the destruction of at least four apartment buildings, each at least seven stories tall.

Two senior Israeli defense officials informed The Times that over 80 1-ton bombs were deployed within a few minutes to eliminate Nasrallah, but they did not specify the type of explosives used. The Israeli military declined to comment on the bombs shown in the video or the weapons used in the operation targeting Nasrallah. U.S. government officials also refrained from providing details.

{Matzav.com}