Israeli Air Strikes on Beirut Kill Hezbollah Leader, Hassan Nasrallah
Hezbollah and Israeli authorities have officially confrmed that the leader of Hezbollah Died in an air strike over Beirut on saturday in an announcement a significant increase of Violance between both sides. The airstrike also killed multiple senior Hezbollah field commanders, including top commander in the South Ali Karki.
Israeli Airstrikes Hit Hezbollah Leaders
The Israeli military said Friday that its joint operation with the secret service had uncovered plans by Hassan Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah for 32 years until handing over to a successor in 2021, to be assassinated in a bunker-buster airstrike. The operation struck the Dahieh neighborhood of Beirut, a hidden Hezbollah headquarters entrenched beneath civilian apartments. It claimed it was part of a wider operation targeting over 140 Hezbollah sites in Lebanon, as tensions run high between Israel and the militant group.
In its statement, the IDF stressed that much of Nasrallah terrorist activities were carried out under his command, and that many Israeli civilians and soldiers lost their lives as a consequence. The IDF promised: “The IDF will continue to fight anyone who is involved in terrorist activity against the State of Israel.”
Iran General Abbas Nilforoushan Dead
The airstrike also killed Nasrallah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard General Abbas Nilforoushan. Nilforoushan, the former Executive Deputy Commander for Operations of the IRGC, had been sanctioned by America over his participation in the repression of1963in Iran.
Iranian Plane Warned By Israeli Cyber Attack
After all, it was Israel that once, in its periodic machinations against Assad and Hezbollah, infected the computer control systems of Beirut Airport’s control tower and redirected an Iranian passenger plane inbound to land. Lebanese officials are quoted as having said at the time that the aircraft had been diverted from Lebanese airspace in Beirut during this hacking.
Hezbollah’s Reaction and Prolonged Struggle
Hezbollah strongly denounced the assassination of its commander and the bombing of a residential Tajjar Square in Beirut as a “terrorist act par excellence” and confirmed that this criminal act would not terrorize Hezbollah but rather repeat jihad for Gaza, Palestine. Hezbollah has not desisted even after the fall of its leader: on Saturday alone at least seven other separate rocket and missile attacks were carried out by Hezbollah forces, resulting in two or more Israeli civilians losing their lives.
Hezbollah-Israel Row escalate
The news of Hassan Nasrallah’s death comes in the midst of a boiling crisis between Israel and Hezbollah. In Israel, officials were gearing up for what could be a ground invasion of Lebanon. Hence, days back, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel would stay the course in its fight with Hezbollah and those behind it, Iran specifically.
There have been numerous disruptions across Israel, and the IDF has placed central areas like Tel Aviv on six-day restrictions. In Israel, flights to and from the airports were delayed and cancelled while residents brace for more attacks from Hezbollah.
Conclusion
Assassinating Hassan Nasrallah would now be a turning point in the Israeli/Hezbollah war. The situation is ongoing and escalation from both sides doesn’t look to be dying down soon with the region on edge waiting for more to unfold.