Hezbollah has confirmed the death of its leader Hassan Nasrallah in a massive air attack on a densely populated neighbourhood of Beirut on Friday evening, September 27.
In a statement, Hezbollah said, “His eminence, the master of resistance, the righteous servant, has passed away to be with his lord who is pleased with him as a great martyr. The leadership of Hezbollah pledges … to continue its jihad in confronting the enemy [Israel], supporting Gaza and Palestine, and defending Lebanon and its steadfast and honourable people.”
Cowardly terrorist act: Hamas
Hamas has condemned the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, following the Lebanon-based group’s confirmation of his death.
In a statement, Hamas denounced the attack as a “cowardly terrorist act” and a “barbaric Zionist aggression” targeting residential buildings. The group expressed its condolences and solidarity with Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon over Nasrallah’s martyrdom.
Iran’s Supreme Leader moved to a secure place
Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly been moved to a safe and secure location.
“All the Resistance forces in the region stand with and support Hezbollah. The Resistance forces will determine the fate of this region with the honorable Hezbollah leading the way,” a statement issued by Khamenei’s account on X said Saturday afternoon which was his first reaction to Israel’s overnight attack on Lebanon.
“The Lebanese haven’t forgotten there was a time when the soldiers of the occupying regime were advancing toward Beirut, & Hezbollah stopped them & made Lebanon proud. Today too, by the grace & power of God, Lebanon will make the transgressing, malicious enemy regret its actions,” he added.
Israel confirms Nasrallah’s death
Earlier in the day, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has been eliminated following a deadly strike on the headquarters of the Lebanese militant group in the southern suburbs of Beirut late Friday. The IDF stated that Nasrallah will no longer be able to “terrorise the world”.
“During the 32 years of the terrorist Hassan Nasrallah’s tenure as the leader of Hezbollah, he was responsible for the murder of many Israeli civilians and soldiers, and for the planning and execution of thousands of terrorist acts against the State of Israel and around the world. Nasrallah was the main decision-maker and the sole approver of strategic-systemic decisions, and sometimes also tactical decisions in the organisation,” Israeli Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, said on Saturday, September 28.
Israel also vowed to continue its operation “New Order” to eliminate leaders of the terror organisations.
Escalating conflict, humanitarian concerns
The latest wave of strikes comes amid a broader context of escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah since the onset of Israel’s war on Gaza. The Lebanese Health Ministry has reported over 700 fatalities and nearly 2,200 injuries due to ongoing airstrikes since Monday.
Explosions continued to shake Beirut early Saturday morning as Israeli strikes persisted throughout Friday. In the early hours of Saturday, the Israeli military announced that it had eliminated several Hezbollah commanders during intensified airstrikes. The Israeli Army claimed responsibility for killing Muhammad Ali Ismail, commander of Hezbollah’s missile unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy, Hussein Ahmad Ismail.
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