Israeli military says it has killed Hassan Nasrallah, secretary-general and leader of Hezbollah, the Lebanon based militant group in an air strike.
Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah’s death in the strike, saying its leader “has joined his fellow martyrs.” They added that they would “continue the holy war against the enemy and in support of Palestine”.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that some top Hezbollah commanders were also killed on Friday during air strikes on Beirut, Lebanon’s capital city.
The intensity of the strikes reduced buildings to rubble, also killing at least six people and injuring several others.
Further strikes were launched by Israel on southern Beirut on the night, targeting what it said were hideouts for Hezbollah weapons.
Israel and Hezbollah intensified air strike exchanges in August. On August 25, the Israeli military launched 100 pre-emptive strikes into Lebanon after identifying that Hezbollah was “preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory”.
According to reports, the jets “struck and destroyed thousands of rocket launcher barrels” across dozens of launch sites in Lebanon. Shortly after the strikes from Israel, Hezbollah said it launched hundreds of rockets and drones into Israeli territory. The group said it fired more than 320 rockets, adding that the “first phase” of its attack against Israel was complete. This was in a bid to retaliate for the assassination of a senior commander in Beirut by Israel.
In mid-September, not less than a dozen people were reported killed with about 2,750 wounded when pagers allegedly used by Hezbolla for communications exploded across Lebanon.
Nasrallah is one of the most influential, mysterious and revered figures in the Middle East.
“Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world,” the IDF said in a post on X on Saturday.
Nasrallah is credited with turning Hezbollah into the political and military force it has become with strong links to Iran.
BBC reports that under Nasrallah, Hezbollah trained fighters from Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, as well as militias in Iraq and Yemen.
Nasrallah also reportedly obtained missiles and rockets from Iran.
