Hezbollah confirms leader Hassan Nasrallah killed in Israeli airstrike

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - BEIRUT — Lebanon's Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday that its leader and one of its founders, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Friday in Beirut.

In a statement, Hezbollah said Nasrallah "has joined his fellow martyrs" and vowed to "continue the war against the enemy and in support of Palestine."

Nasrallah, who had led Hezbollah for over three decades, is the most powerful figure targeted by Israel in the recent intensification of the conflict.

The Israeli military confirmed it had carried out a precise airstrike on Friday while Hezbollah leadership was meeting in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut.

The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that six people were killed and 91 injured in the strikes, which flattened six apartment buildings. Among those killed were senior Hezbollah commanders, including Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollah's Southern Front, according to the Israeli military.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli army spokesperson, stated that the strike on Nasrallah was the result of years of tracking, combined with "real-time information." He declined to disclose details on the munitions used or civilian casualties but emphasized that efforts were made to avoid harming civilians, and strikes are cleared in advance with intelligence and legal experts.

The Palestinian group Hamas issued condolences to Hezbollah, with a statement affirming that Nasrallah's death would only strengthen the resistance movements in Lebanon and Palestine.

Israel’s Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, declared that Nasrallah’s elimination was "not the end of our toolbox," indicating that more strikes on Hezbollah are planned.

The Israeli military also announced it was mobilizing additional reserve soldiers amid escalating tensions with Lebanon, sending two brigades to northern Israel to prepare for potential ground operations. Israeli officials said they would continue targeting Hezbollah’s strategic assets, despite the group retaining much of its arsenal.

The conflict has displaced over 200,000 Lebanese and tens of thousands of Israelis along the northern border. Israel has made halting Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on northern Israel an official war goal.

Iranian state media confirmed Nasrallah's death but offered no immediate official comment. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Hezbollah's resistance movement would determine the fate of the region. Hezbollah is a key ally of Iran, which also backs militant groups across the Middle East.

In Iraq, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani declared a three-day mourning period following Nasrallah’s death. Sudani, who has ties to Iran-backed political factions, expressed solidarity with Hezbollah, as anti-Israel protests were reported in various cities across Iran and Iraq.

Hezbollah began launching rockets at Israel on Oct. 8, a day after Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing over 1,200 people. The conflict has steadily escalated, with significant cross-border exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel, displacing civilians on both sides.

The situation reached a critical point last week when hidden explosives in pagers and walkie-talkies detonated, killing dozens of Hezbollah members and civilians. While Israel has not confirmed responsibility, it has conducted several successful operations targeting senior Hezbollah figures in recent weeks, culminating in Nasrallah's death.

On Saturday, Israeli forces launched over 140 airstrikes in southern Beirut and the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah’s infrastructure. Meanwhile, Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel and deep into the occupied West Bank, causing some property damage.

The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that at least 720 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon over the past week, with thousands more displaced by the ongoing fighting. — Agencies