Israel Has Assassinated Hezbollah’s Longtime Leader By Intensely Bombing A Densely Populated Suburb In Beirut
Hassan Nasrallah had been leading the Iran-backed militant group that controls large parts of Lebanon since 1992.
Hezbollah's longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah has been assassinated by massive Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon's capital, Hezbollah has confirmed in a statement.
Israel launched a wave of massive air raids on Dahiyeh, a suburb in southern Beirut, on the evening of Friday, Sep. 27, saying it was targeting Hezbollah's headquarters.
The airstrikes continued early into Saturday, prompting thousands of residents to flee the area, according to Al Jazeera.
The bombings killed at least six people and injured another 91 others, according to Lebanon's health ministry, which said the death toll is expected to rise much higher.
Israel's military then announced on X on Saturday, Sep. 28, that it had killed Nasrallah, who has been leading the Iran-backed militant group that controls large parts of Lebanon since 1992.
In a statement, Israel’s military accused Nasrallah of being responsible for the “murder of many Israeli civilians and soldiers, and the planning and execution of thousands of terrorist activities”.
It said it also killed additional commanders, including Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollah's southern front, with its airstrikes in Dahiyeh.
Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah's death hours later, saying in a statement he had been killed "following the treacherous Zionist strike on the southern suburbs".
In its statement, Hezbollah vowed to continue to fight against Israel "in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defense of Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people."
Israel's military said the country is on high alert after Nasrallah's killing, but it intends to continue targeting Hezbollah's leaders and still has a "ways to go" in its fight against the group.
Under Nasrallah's 32-year leadership, Hezbollah transformed from a local armed group into one of the most powerful political and military forces in Lebanon and the Middle East.
Notably, he led the group's sustained military campaign that contributed to Israel withdrawing from its occupation of Southern Lebanon in 2000.
He was "a divisive figure in Lebanon and the wider Arab world due to Hezbollah's operations in Syria and beyond," according to Al Jazeera.
In recent years, he has rarely been seen in public due to security concerns.
Nasrallah's assassination is seen as a major blow to Hezbollah and could escalate the war in the region even further.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said that despite Nasrallah's killing, Israel had not damaged Hezbollah's "strong structure".
He called on Muslims around the world to stand with Hezbollah in fighting Israel, Al Jazeera reported.
Since Israel intensified its airstrikes on Lebanon on Monday Sep. 23, it has now killed more than 720 people and forced more than 211,000 people from their homes in southern Lebanon.
The UN said that the intense bombing had forced at least 20 primary healthcare centers to shut down.
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