Nasrallah, known for being an elusive figure, has been a key leader of Hezbollah, a militant group and political party in Lebanon that has been involved in numerous conflicts with Israel.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed on Saturday that Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, was killed in a massive airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon. Nasrallah, known for being an elusive figure, has been a key leader of Hezbollah, a militant group and political party in Lebanon that has been involved in numerous conflicts with Israel. The claim by the IDF, if verified, would mark a significant development in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. However, there has been no independent confirmation of Nasrallah’s death yet, and Hezbollah has not released an official statement regarding this claim.
Hezbollah on Saturday said that since Friday night, there has been no communication with the organization’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, AFP reported quoting sources. The source, said, “Contact with Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has been lost since Friday evening.”
“The IDF spokesman announces that yesterday, the IDF killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the terrorist organization Hezbollah and its founders, along with Ali Karchi, the commander of the southern front in Hezbollah, and other commanders in Hezbollah,” the tweet by IDF roughly said.
דובר צה״ל מודיע כי אתמול, צה״ל חיסל את חסן נסראללה, מנהיג ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה וממייסדיו, ויחד איתו את עלי כרכי, מפקד חזית הדרום בחיזבאללה, ומפקדים נוספים בחיזבאללה >>
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) September 28, 2024
“Hassan Nasrallah is dead,” military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani announced on X. Military spokesman Captain David Avraham also confirmed to AFP that the Hezbollah chief had been “eliminated” following strikes Friday on the Lebanese capital.
The strike, which also killed Ali Karki, the Commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front, was carried out by Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets at the group’s Central Headquarters, reportedly located underground beneath a residential building in the Dahieh area.
The strike was conducted after Israel had precise intelligence indicating that senior Hezbollah commanders were present at the location, actively planning terrorist activities against Israel.
Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world, says IDF
Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 28, 2024
Israeli fighter jets launched a series of airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut overnight into Saturday, reportedly targeting Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The strikes, which Israel claimed were aimed at Hezbollah’s headquarters, caused widespread panic as families fled the bombardment in the Dahiyeh suburbs, a densely populated area known for being a Hezbollah stronghold.
Israeli television networks suggested that Nasrallah was the intended target of these airstrikes. However, a source close to Hezbollah earlier stated that Nasrallah was “fine,” indicating he was not harmed. The explosions were described as the most intense in Beirut since the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
In the aftermath of the major raids, Israel issued warnings early Saturday for residents to evacuate the Dahiyeh suburbs, raising concerns of further escalation in the conflict.