Israel said on Saturday it has killed Hezbollah leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in a “targeted strike” on Hezbollah’s underground headquarters in Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah-controlled area of Lebanon.
The strike also reportedly killed another top Hezbollah leader, Ali Karaki, and other commanders. “The strike was conducted while Hezbollah’s senior chain of command was operating from the headquarters and advancing terrorist activities against the citizens of the State of Israel,” the Israeli military statement claimed.
Hezbollah confirmed the death of their leader in the strike. “Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of Hezbollah, has joined his great, immortal martyr comrades whom he led for about 30 years,” the group said in a statement.
The statement confirmed he was killed with other group members “following the treacherous Zionist strike on the southern suburbs” of Beirut. Lebanese health officials confirmed six dead and 91 wounded in the initial attack on Friday.
Nasrallah’s confirmed death should be a fatal blow to the Iran-backed militia – a key member of the so-called “Axis of Resistance.” United States foreign policy designates Hezbollah a terrorist organization.
Friday’s airstrike on Dahiyeh caused massive explosions, leaving a crater at least 20 meters deep. It was followed by more strikes Saturday early morning, with huge explosions lighting up the sky and smoke rising over the city.
Residents fled Dahiyeh, seeking shelter in downtown Beirut and other parts of the city. “Yesterday’s strikes were unbelievable. We had fled before and then went back to our homes, but then the bombing got more and more intense,” said one Dahiyeh resident.
Hezbollah continued its cross-border rocket fire, which set off sirens inside Israel and sent residents scampering for safety. Israeli missile defenses blocked some. There are no reports of injuries.
The escalation of this situation is further igniting worries of a conflict that can potentially draw in Iran and the United States. U.S. Republican candidate, former president Donald Trump has already promised Iran he “will blow up your cities to Smithereens”, in the light of US intelligence assessment of an Iranian plot against his life.
Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets at Israel, including Tel Aviv. The Israeli military said it is on high alert for full-scale war but hopes the targeting of Hezbollah leaders like Nasralla can help change their minds. “We hope this will change Hezbollah’s actions,” said Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani.
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