The Israeli military announced on Saturday it had killed Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in an airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburb (Dahiyeh) a day earlier, reported Reuters.
Hezbollah confirmed later on Saturday that Nasrallah was killed in the Israeli airstrike. The group said in a statement that Nasrallah “has joined his fellow martyrs,” vowing to “continue the holy war against the enemy and in support of Palestine.”
The elimination of Nasrallah came after a week of major escalation between Israel and the Lebanese group. Nasrallah’s death marks a heavy blow to Hezbollah and its main backer, Iran.
Targeting Nasrallah
The Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah’s underground headquarters in Beirut’s Dahiyeh in a series of strikes Friday. In a statement, it said it had killed Nasrallah along with other senior commanders, including Hezbollah’s southern front commander, Ali Karki.
Following precise intelligence from the Israeli army and security establishment, “IAF [Israeli air force] fighter jets conducted a targeted strike on the central headquarters of the Hezbollah terrorist organization which was located underground, embedded under a residential building in the Dahiyeh area of Beirut,” the statement said.
It added that “The strike was conducted while Hezbollah’s senior chain of command was operating from the headquarters and advancing terrorist activities against citizens of the state of Israel.”
Massive Destruction
The airstrikes on Friday shook Beirut and caused massive destruction. A Lebanese security source told Reuters that the attack, a series of quick successive powerful blasts, created a 20-meter-deep crater.
Furthermore, the Lebanese Health Ministry said that the strikes leveled six apartment buildings, killing at least 6 people and injuring 91, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Bracing for Further Escalation
The Israeli military’s Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, said on Saturday that the elimination of Nasrallah was “not the end of our toolbox,” in an indication that Israel is planning for more strikes.
Moreover, Israel’s army announced it was mobilizing additional reserve soldiers amid the escalating tensions with Hezbollah, activating 3 battalions after sending two brigades to northern Israel earlier this week to prepare for a possible ground invasion.
The Israeli military conducted several strikes in southern Beirut and eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley on Saturday morning. Meanwhile, Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets into northern and central Israel, as well as deep into Israel-occupied West Bank.
Alarming Development
The elimination of Hezbollah’s leader raises fears over Iran’s involvement in the conflict, according to the Guardian. The Lebanese group’s main backer has so far been reluctant to join the fighting against Israel.
However, Iran’s embassy in Beirut called the strikes on Dahiyeh “a dangerous game changing escalation that changes the rules of the game.” It also warned that its perpetrator would be “punished appropriately.”
The Guardian reporter, Peter Beaumont, said that the Israeli strikes represent a direct challenge to Tehran, as Nasrallah has been its most important strategic regional ally, and Hezbollah’s Iranian-supplied missile arsenal has acted as a bulwark against an Israeli attack on Iran.
He added that this development raises alarm about dragging Iran to the conflict. It could also prompt other Iranian allies in Iraq, Syria and Yemen to launch their missiles and drones against Israel and US targets.
