The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Saturday that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in a targeted airstrike on the group’s central headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon. According to the IDF’s post on X (formerly Twitter), the airstrike successfully neutralized Nasrallah, marking the end of his decades-long leadership of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. The post read, “Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world.”
Nasrallah, who had led Hezbollah for more than 30 years, was reportedly killed in the Dahiyeh area of Beirut, a known Hezbollah stronghold, during an Israeli airstrike that took place on Friday. The operation used advanced bunker-busting munitions, leading to a powerful explosion that flattened multiple buildings in the area, as shown in video footage released by the IDF.
In addition to Nasrallah, the IDF confirmed that two senior Hezbollah officials, Muhammad Ismail, commander of Hezbollah’s Missile Unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy, Hussein Ahmad Ismail, were also killed in the attack. Both were reportedly involved in the recent missile strikes on Israel, including a surface-to-surface missile launched at central Israel on Wednesday.
Although Nasrallah’s death has not been independently confirmed, a U.S. official informed ABC News that he was the target of the strike and was believed to be in Beirut at the time of the attack. The airstrike is part of Israel’s broader military response to assaults by Hezbollah and Hamas, following the deadly October 7, 2023, attack by Palestinian militants on an Israeli music festival that left over 100 people dead and more than 1,000 injured.
In a speech at the United Nations just before the airstrike, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Lebanon not to let Hezbollah drag the nation into war. He also delivered a stern message to Iran, Hezbollah’s main backer, stating, “If you strike us, we will strike you. There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach.”
While the Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed two deaths and 70 injuries from the airstrike, it remains unclear if Nasrallah is officially among the dead. The IDF has ramped up efforts to eliminate key leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas since the October attacks, significantly increasing tensions across the region.
