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HEZBOLLAH LEADER HASSAN NASRALLAH KILLED IN ISRAELI STRIKE
Israel announces the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, in a large-scale airstrike on Beirut, sparking concerns of escalating Middle East conflict.
Beirut, Lebanon - Israel announced Saturday that its forces have killed Hassan Nasrallah, the powerful leader of Lebanese militant and political group Hezbollah, in a large-scale attack on a suburb of southern Beirut.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the killing in a post on X, stating, "Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world." Hezbollah later confirmed Nasrallah's death in a statement.
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Nasrallah, 64, led Hezbollah for three decades, building it into the most powerful Iran-backed paramilitary group in the Middle East. Under his leadership, Hezbollah became a potent political player in Lebanon, with an arsenal of ballistic missiles trained on Israel.
Born in Beirut in 1960, Nasrallah joined the Amal Movement and later became a founding member of Hezbollah in 1982, following Israel's invasion of Lebanon. He rose to prominence after his predecessor, Sayyed Abbas Musawi, was killed by Israeli forces in 1992.
Hezbollah vowed to continue its campaign against Israel until it ends its nearly yearlong offensive in Gaza. Nasrallah had called for the "liberation" of Jerusalem, referring to Israel as the “Zionist entity.”
The Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah's central headquarters in Dahieh, a southern suburb of Beirut, killed at least six people and injured 91. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned early from the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York following the attack.
Ed Husain, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said Israel's move could be seen as "a proactive strategy to defend Israel." The concern now is an escalation of war in the Middle East, including an Israeli ground operation in Lebanon.
Washington has pushed for a 21-day cease-fire proposal to allow negotiations between Israel and Hezbollah. The Biden administration said it had no prior knowledge of Israel's plans for the attack.
