Lebanon’s Islamist militant group Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday that its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in a major Israeli airstrike on the group’s headquarters in Beirut on Friday. The Israeli military claimed earlier today that it 64-year-old powerful Islamic leader killed in attackWhich he called ‘Operation New Order’.
In a statement announcing the death, the Iran-backed organization said Nasrallah had “joined his fellow martyrs”. Subsequently, Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV began broadcasting Quranic verses condoling Nasrallah’s death, news agency Reuters reported.
Officials who spoke to The New York Times said Hezbollah had identified Nasrallah’s body early Saturday, as well as that of another top commander, Ali Karaki.
The death of the longtime leader is a devastating blow to Hezbollah, which has been in armed conflict with Israel since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. After announcing Nasrallah’s death, the group said it would continue its fight against Israel. In support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defense of Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people”.
Nasrallah led Hezbollah for more than three decades and was instrumental in establishing the organization as a political-militant group in the region. With his assassination, Israel hopes to destroy the group’s power structure and push the group away from its borders.
Nasrallah’s daughter Zainab Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s southern front commander Ali Karki and Iran Revolutionary Guards deputy commander Abbas Nilforoshan were also reportedly killed in the attack, among others.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out ‘precision air strike’ on Friday evening when Hezbollah leadership met at its headquarters in Dahiyah, south of Beirut. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, six people were killed and more than 90 were injured in the attacks, which demolished six apartments and shook buildings within a 30-kilometre radius.
More than 80 bombs were reportedly dropped by the IDF over a period of several minutes to kill Nasrallah.
As Israel continues a wave of attacks in Lebanon, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Muslims Saturday to “stand with the Lebanese people and the proud Hezbollah with whatever means they have and help them confront the evil regime (of Israel)”.
After the Israeli military said it had killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Khamenei said in a statement: “The fate of the region will be determined by the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront,” state media reported. “.