Yes, them being in the lowest levels of the fire means that they will receive the most severe punishment. There are different types of individuals and groups of disbelievers that will be from the most severely punished, just as there are narrations stating that some Muslims who are the most severely punished like the picture makers for example. The hypocrites who know the truth and the evidence is established against them with clarity, then there is no doubt that they are the most severely punished from the disbelievers. Due to this, when the prophet intercedes for his uncle Abu Talib (the prophet’s uncle), he will be punished and he will be “In a shallow part of the fire” (Al-Bukhari: 3883) and in another narration “and he would be wearing two shoes (of Fire) which would boil his brain” (Muslim 212) and yet he will be the least punished from the disbelievers and his brains will boil by way of his shoes. The prophet ﷺ said: “If it was not for me he would be in the lowest level of the fire” (Al-Bukhari: 3883). Meaning; If it was not for the Prophet ﷺ Abu Tفشalib would be in the lowest level of the fire, why when he helped and protected the prophet peace be upon him? Because he knew the truth closely and attested to it, just like the state of the hypocrites but what prevented him from accepting when the Prophet ﷺ urged him to testify at the last stage of his life?
So, the fact of someone knows is considered more than one who does not. So, it is not said “Such and such a scholar who knows the truth with its evidences and yet opposes it is like the ignorant one who does not know the rulings along with their evidences and opposes it. Due to this the Jews are those whom Allah is angry with and the Christians are astray and we are ordered to seek refuge with Allah from being like them
ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ
صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
Guide us along the Straight Path, the Path of those You have blessed—not those You are angry with, or those who are astray.
The whom Allaah is angry with are the Jews because they know the truth, and the astray are the Christians because they worship Allaah upon ignorance. Hence, Allaah distinguished between the two. The hypocrite who knows the truth, mixes with the Muslims and participates with them openly whilst persisting upon disbelief internally is different to the disbeliever who does not participate with them and is far from them, and does not know the truth what he knows.