The Israeli military announced on Saturday that it had killed Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the longtime leader of Hezbollah, in an airstrike on the group’s central headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The airstrike, which reportedly took place on Friday, has not yet been confirmed by Hezbollah, and Reuters was unable to immediately reach officials from the Iran-backed group for comment. Hezbollah has not issued a formal statement regarding Nasrallah’s status.
Nasrallah, who has led Hezbollah for more than three decades, transformed the group into a formidable military and political force, significantly extending Tehran’s influence across the Middle East. His death would represent a significant loss not only for Hezbollah but also for Iran, whose Revolutionary Guards founded the group in 1982.
The Israeli military spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, stated on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that Nasrallah had been “eliminated” in the airstrike. In a separate post, the Israeli military declared that “Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world.” The Israeli military also confirmed the death of another senior Hezbollah leader, Ali Karaki, in the same attack.
The strike on Hezbollah’s leadership has sharply escalated tensions between Israel and the heavily armed group, sparking concerns that the conflict could expand and further destabilize the region. Israeli forces reportedly launched additional airstrikes on Saturday, deepening fears of a broader war in the Middle East.
As of Saturday evening, the situation remained fluid, with Hezbollah and its allies yet to officially respond to the Israeli claims.
