On Saturday, the Israeli military made a startling announcement: Hassan Nasrallah, the long-time leader of Hezbollah, had been killed in an airstrike conducted on Friday. The attack targeted what Israel identified as Hezbollah’s central headquarters, located near Beirut. The airstrike, according to Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, also claimed the lives of several other key Hezbollah commanders, including Ali Karaki, the leader of the group’s southern front. This news, while yet to be confirmed by Hezbollah, has sent shockwaves through the region.
The potential confirmation of Nasrallah’s death could have far-reaching consequences for the ongoing conflict in the West Asian region. This development comes amidst Israel’s intensified military campaign against Hezbollah over the past two weeks in Lebanon, raising concerns about a wider regional conflict. The escalation began with multiple pager blasts and walkie-talkie explosions, culminating in the current air strike exchange between Lebanon and Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israel.
Hassan Nasrallah, at 64, has led Hezbollah since the early 1990s. He has maintained a close relationship with Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and played a crucial role in Tehran’s network of proxy forces across the West Asia. Hezbollah is often considered the crown jewel in Iran’s “axis of resistance” against Israel and US interests in the region.
The Israeli airstrikes have been described as “unprecedented,” with multiple raids targeting residential buildings. Reports indicate that over 700 people have been killed across Lebanon since Israel escalated its bombing campaign on Monday, including at least 50 children, according to Lebanese authorities. Israeli jets relentlessly bombarded southern Beirut and its outskirts throughout the night on Friday, marking the most intense assaults on Hezbollah strongholds since the last war between the group and Israel in 2006.
Israel justifies its military actions by claiming that they are focused on dismantling Hezbollah’s infrastructure, including key headquarters and weapons facilities in Beirut. Since early last week, Israel has significantly escalated its attacks, resulting in the deaths of several top Hezbollah commanders. Hezbollah, along with Iran, has accused Israel of a recent operation that caused thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies to explode, injuring and killing many Hezbollah members. As tensions rise, Israel continues to assert that its operations are necessary to prevent Hezbollah attacks on its territory and to push the group’s fighters back from the border.
