The latest Israeli airstrike targeting Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon's southern Beirut reportedly claimed the life of Zainab Nasrallah, the daughter of top Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Although there has been no official confirmation from Hezbollah or Lebanese authorities, reports suggest that she died in the latest airstrikes by the Israeli military carried out on Sep 27.
If confirmed, Zainab Nasrallah's death could significantly impact the Iran-backed group's response to the ongoing conflict with Israel.
The recent attack by Israel on Hezbollah's key strongholds marked its most intense strikes on Beirut as the country shifted its military focus from Gaza to Lebanon earlier this week.
The targets of these strikes were allegedly Hezbollah strongholds spread throughout Lebanon, but had a devastating impact on civilians resulting in hundreds of deaths.
Israel said that the primary target of the attacks was Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, but media reports claimed that Nasrallah was "fine", citing a Hezbollah source.
The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) announced that it targeted Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut with a series of powerful explosions aimed at the militant group's leader.
The explosions destroyed several high-rise apartment buildings resulting in at least six deaths and 91 injuries, Lebanon’s health ministry said.
It marked the largest explosion in the Lebanese capital in the past year and raised serious concerns about an escalation of conflict into a full-blown war.
Nasrallah has remained in hiding for years to evade assassination attempts. Hezbollah's top leader holds a considerable influence in Lebanon, specifically among his Shiite supporters. He is widely seen as the only figure capable of waging war or brokering peace.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) meanwhile claimed that the strikes resulted in the deaths of Muhammad Ali Ismail, the commander of Hezbollah's missile unit in southern Lebanon, his deputy, and other senior officials of the Group.
Hezbollah has yet to release any statement regarding the incident. However, it declared that it had fired a barrage of rockets at the Israeli city of Safed, saying it was “in defense of Lebanon and its people, and response to the barbaric Israeli violation of cities, villages and civilians.”
