Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah is believed to have been killed in targeted Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) airstrikes on Hezbollah’s central headquarters in Beirut on Friday, as reported by unnamed Israeli officials. An Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post, “Hard to believe he [Nasrallah] got out of it alive,” suggesting that Nasrallah was one of the intended targets of the strikes.
Reports also suggest that Zainab Nasrallah, the daughter of Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut on the same day. The Israeli news channel Channel 12 reported her death, although there has been no official confirmation from Hezbollah or Lebanese authorities. Zainab was known for her vocal support of Hezbollah and her family’s sacrifices, having previously spoken about her brother Hadi, who was killed by Israeli forces in 1997, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Is Hassan Nasrallah dead or alive?
Though the IDF has not confirmed it, AP quoted sources as saying that it was targeting Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. It is not yet known if he was at the headquarters, and the Hezbollah has not commented on the attacks either.
Reuters quoted a source close to Hezbollah as saying that Nasrallah was unreachable following the airstrikes, but is believed to be alive. Though Iran’s Tasnim news agency has said that Nasrallah is safe, a senior Iranian security official told Reuters that Tehran was “checking his status”.
The attack took place as the IDF intensified its operations against Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed group that has been consistently targeting Israel. This escalation is part of a limited cross-border conflict between the IDF and Hezbollah that has persisted over the past year, concurrent with the ongoing war in Gaza.
IDF’s warning for airstrike
On Saturday, the IDF warned the residents of neighbourhoods in the Dahieh of Beirut to move away from Hezbollah assets and facilities. “We will continue operating to precisely dismantle Hezbollah’s offensive capabilities. Hezbollah has strategically embedded weapons in civilian areas, putting Lebanese civilians at risk in order to harm Israeli civilians. Our war is with Hezbollah, not the people of Lebanon,” the Israeli military said in a post on X.
Netanyahu cuts US visit short after airstrike on Beirut weakens Hezbollah
Strong airstrike shook Beirut just a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly. During his speech at the UN, Netanyahu stated that Israel would “keep weakening Hezbollah” until its objectives in Lebanon were achieved. Following the airstrike on Wednesday, Netanyahu cut short his U.S. visit and returned to Israel, according to his office.
The Times of Israel reported that the airstrike in Beirut would not have been authorized without “absolute certainty” regarding Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah’s presence at the targeted site. Amos Yadlin, speaking to Channel 12 News, claimed to have sources confirming that Nasrallah “is no longer with us,” though Israel has yet to officially confirm this.
Hezbollah, which has Iran’s backing, had been firing rockets into Israel since Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, in a show of support for the Palestinians. It has led to the IDF hitting back with massive airstrikes in Lebanon, in a bid to push Hezbollah away from the border, while continuing its offensive against the Hamas in Gaza.
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