A portrait of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah sits amid destruction in an area targeted overnight by Israeli airstrikes in Saksakiyeh on Sept. 26. Mahmous Zayyat/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Mahmous Zayyat/AFP via Getty Images Middle East crisis — explained From pager blasts to Nasrallah’s killing: 12 days that transformed a bloody conflict September 29, 2024 NPR steps back and takes a closer look at the days leading up to the killing of Hezbollah's leader. Experts say this development has transformed an already complex and deadly conflict.