New York Times: Israel Knew About Nasrallah's Location Months Before the Attack

Three senior Israeli defense officials told the New York Times that Israel had known about the location of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, months before the attack on Friday that resulted in his death. The Hezbollah group of Lebanon has finally confirmed the death of Hassan Nasrallah, its Secretary-General, in the Israeli attacks on Friday. The Israeli army confirmed on Saturday that Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, was killed in the previous night's airstrike by its fighter jets on Hezbollah's main headquarters in southern Beirut. According to Hezbollah's claim, Nasrallah has 'joined the caravan of the martyrs of Karbala' and 'has fulfilled his long-held wish.' Reuters reported on Friday, October 6, citing eyewitnesses, that following the Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Beirut, powerful explosions shook the capital of Lebanon, and thick columns of smoke rose. The Israeli army announced on Friday that it targeted the central command headquarters of Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group, in the outskirts of Beirut during these attacks. Following this attack on Hezbollah's headquarters in the outskirts of Beirut, conflicting reports about the fate of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of this group, were published. 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 as Secretary-General in 1992 after the assassination of Abbas Musawi. Hassan Nasrallah was born on August 31, 1960, in the town of al-Bazourieh in eastern Tyre, southern Lebanon. In 1976, encouraged by the Imam Juma 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 Bekaa Valley. In 1982, he separated from the Amal organization 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 taking responsibility for his protection. Throughout these years, Nasrallah avoided public appearances due to fears of assassination, and most of his speeches were broadcast via video to his supporters. After Subhi al-Tufayli and Abbas Musawi, he was the third Secretary-General of Hezbollah and one of the most loyal commanders of the Iranian proxy forces to Ali Khamenei. Nasrallah, who always referred to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic as 'a great and exceptional figure,' mentioned Khamenei's 'correct predictions' in one of his interviews, 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 said: 'I say clearly to the world that 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, it means we have money.' This speech coincided with the slogan 'Not Gaza, Not Lebanon, My life is for Iran' during public protests in the streets of Iran. The U.S. 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 Supreme 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 agents' pagers were deliberately produced and detonated. 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 left at least 14 dead and 450 injured due to the detonation of Hezbollah's radios. Reuters reported that Israel had planted explosives in Hezbollah's ordered pagers months in advance.