Hezbollah’s chief Hassan Nasrallah has been killed in Israeli air strikes in Beirut, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Sep 28.
“Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world,” the IDF said in a post on ‘X’. Israel's army chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, reiterated his stance to "reach" anyone who is a potential threat to Israel and its citizens.
"This is not the end of our toolbox. The message is simple, anyone who threatens the citizens of Israel — we will know how to reach them," Halevi said in an official statement following the report of Nasrallah's death.
"This attack was prepared for a long time, executed at the right moment with great precision, and now we are moving forward with careful preparation for the next steps," he added further.
According to a report by Times of Israel, the Israeli Air Force struck Hezbollah’s main headquarters in Beirut, with Nasrallah believed to have been at the command center at the time of the airstrike.
The Israeli military said it launched new strikes on Sep 28 targeting Hezbollah in eastern Lebanon following intense bombardments on the group’s stronghold in southern Beirut overnight.
“The IDF [military] is currently striking terror targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the area of Beqaa” in eastern Lebanon, it said in a statement.
Quoting a government official, the Israeli English daily said it's not possible that Nasrallah would survive a strike of such magnitude.
The secretary general of Hezbollah was considered the single most powerful individual in Lebanon with as many as 100,000 fighters at his disposal.
The 64-year-old leader led Hezbollah into wars against Israel and took part in the conflict in neighboring Syria.
Earlier, reports suggested that Israeli bombardments on Sep 27 killed Nasrallah's daughter Zainab Nasrallah.
However, there has been no confirmation from Hezbollah on either's death.
This recent escalation of violence between Israel and Hezbollah has occurred after the multiple pager explosions that happened last week targeting Hezbollah members.
The airstrikes have claimed the lives of over 700 Lebanese citizens, with thousands of people becoming homeless.
Nasrallah has been in hiding for years to evade assassination attempts.
If confirmed, Nasrallah and his daughter Zainab's death could significantly impact the Iran-backed group's response to the ongoing conflict with Israel.
