BEIRUT, Lebanon (Diya TV) — Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed Friday by an Israeli airstrike that cratered the ground near his headquarters in southern Beirut, a significant escalation of the conflict between Israel and the militant group. Hezbollah issued a statement Saturday confirming Nasrallah’s death, following reports from Israeli military officials who described the strike as a precise attack on the militant group’s headquarters.
The airstrike occurred during a meeting of Hezbollah’s top leaders at its stronghold, Dahiyeh. In the raid, some of the key commanders were also martyred. The Israel military stated that the operation had seriously damaged Hezbollah and its chief supporter, Iran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned how the assassination of Nasrallah was a necessity for Israel’s safety and that, “The world is safer without him.”
Nasrallah, who had led Hezbollah since 1992, was an icon of the process of transforming Hezbollah from a fringe political organization into a powerful military and political force. The group, under his leadership, emerged as a major player in Lebanese politics and played the determining role in regional conflicts. His death comes at a time when, due to recent clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, civilian casualties have skyrocketed both in Israel and Lebanon.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for retaliation, rallying regional allies to join a coalition against Israel. Hezbollah had vowed to retaliate in case Nasrallah was killed, thus instilling a fear of an escalation in the region.
There have also been hundreds of civilian casualties from the airstrike, where according to the local Lebanese officials, major destruction has been caused in the neighborhood of Dahiyeh-the so-called stronghold of Hezbollah. The situation has been tense, with thousands of residents evacuating the region.
International leaders are calling for restraint, underlining the need to try preventing further destabilization in Lebanon and the region at large. The impact of his murder would reach much further than Lebanon, poking sensitive questions in the balance of power in the Middle East.
Just as the two sides show no signs of unwillingness to continue the war, with each side bombing and targeting Hezbollah posts throughout Lebanon as Hezbollah fires back with the sending of retaliatory missiles into northern Israel.
