Israeli Army: Hassan Nasrallah Killed in Airstrike on Beirut

The Israeli army confirmed on Saturday that Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, was killed in an airstrike by Israeli fighter jets on the group's main headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Reuters reported on Friday, October 6, citing eyewitnesses, that the airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Beirut caused powerful explosions that shook the Lebanese capital and thick columns of smoke rose into the sky. The Israeli army announced on Friday that it targeted the central command headquarters of Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia, in the suburbs of Beirut. Following this attack on Hezbollah's headquarters, conflicting reports about the fate of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the group, emerged. Nasrallah co-founded Hezbollah in 1982 with several other Lebanese clerics. He served as the executive head of Hezbollah for a time and was elected Secretary-General in 1992 after the assassination of Abbas Mousawi. Hassan Nasrallah was born on August 31, 1960, in the town of al-Bazourieh in southern Lebanon. In 1976, encouraged by the Imam of Tyre, he went to Najaf to study religious sciences, and after returning from Najaf in 1979, he became a member of the political office of the Amal Movement and represented this movement in the Beqaa Valley. In 1982, Nasrallah separated from Amal with a group of other clerics and founded Hezbollah. He survived at least four assassination attempts between 2004 and 2011, ultimately leading to a 150-member security team being responsible for his protection. Throughout these years, Nasrallah avoided public appearances due to fears of being killed, and most of his speeches were broadcast via video for his supporters. After Subhi al-Tufayli and Abbas Mousawi, he became the third Secretary-General of Hezbollah and one of the most loyal commanders of Iran's proxy forces to Ali Khamenei. Nasrallah has always referred to the leader of the Islamic Republic as a 'great and exceptional figure' and mentioned in an interview the 'accurate predictions' of Khamenei, stating: 'In a meeting in 1999, he emphasized that your victory in Lebanon is very close, so close that you cannot even imagine it.' In one of his most famous speeches to the people of Iran and the world, he stated: 'I say clearly to the world, the budget and expenses for the food, weapons, and missiles of Hezbollah come from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and no sanctions will affect this process.' He also emphasized: 'As long as Iran has money, we have money.' This speech coincided with the slogan 'Not Gaza, Not Lebanon, My Life for Iran' during public protests in the streets of Iran. The United States supported Israel's approach in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations. Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel had not responded to the ceasefire proposal between Israel and Lebanon. The founder of Hezbollah called for the trial and punishment of the leader of the Islamic Republic. Guterres expressed concern about the situation in Gaza and Lebanon; the Israeli Defense Minister criticized the UN's positions. Channel 12 of Israeli television reported that Hezbollah's pagers were deliberately manufactured and exploded. Reuters reported that Hezbollah distributed the 'pagers' among its members hours before the explosion. Blinken called for restraint in the region, especially in Lebanon. Nasrallah acknowledged the severe military and security damage inflicted on Hezbollah: it was unprecedented in history. A new wave of explosions in Lebanon resulted in at least 14 deaths and 450 injuries due to the explosion of Hezbollah's radios. Reuters reported that Israel had planted explosives in the pagers ordered by Hezbollah months in advance.