Lebanon’s Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday that its leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, was killed, vowing to continue their fight against Israel.
Israel had earlier announced it killed the Hezbollah leader in an airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, delivering a devastating blow to the group amid an escalating Israeli campaign.
Nasrallah’s death is a significant setback not just for Hezbollah but also for its backers in Iran. As a prominent figure in the Tehran-aligned “Axis of Resistance,” he helped extend Iranian influence across the Middle East.
Iran also confirmed that General Abbas Nilforoushan, a senior commander in its Revolutionary Guard Corps, was killed in the same strike. IRNA news agency reported that Nilforoushan, the deputy commander of the Guards’ operations, died alongside Nasrallah.
Hezbollah issued a statement honoring Nasrallah, declaring that he had joined the ranks of the “immortal martyrs” he had led for nearly three decades. The group stated that Nasrallah and other members were killed in the “treacherous Zionist strike” on Beirut’s southern suburbs.
As news spread, AFP journalists reported emotional scenes in Beirut’s streets, with people weeping and expressing shock.
Hezbollah affirmed its commitment to continue fighting Israel, standing in solidarity with Gaza and Palestine, and defending Lebanon and its people. The group did not provide details on how Nasrallah was killed.
Following the announcement, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV aired Quranic verses in mourning.
The Israeli military said Nasrallah was eliminated in a targeted strike on Hezbollah’s underground headquarters beneath a residential building in Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah-controlled suburb of Beirut. The strike also killed another senior Hezbollah leader, Ali Karaki, along with other commanders.
Israel claimed that the strike took place while Hezbollah’s leadership was actively coordinating attacks against Israeli civilians.
In the wake of Nasrallah’s death, Iranian posters bearing the slogan “Hezbollah is alive” appeared in Tehran. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned Israel’s actions but did not explicitly mention Nasrallah’s fate.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes continued to pound Beirut, with significant damage reported in Hezbollah-controlled areas. Thousands of residents have fled Beirut’s southern suburbs, seeking refuge in safer parts of the city and nearby regions.
The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has escalated alongside the ongoing Gaza conflict, intensifying fears that the violence will spread further across the region.
