Israel announced on Saturday the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, “eliminated” in a massive strike the day before on the southern suburbs of Beirut. The Lebanese movement has not confirmed this death, but claims to have lost contact with Nasrallah since Friday evening.
Here’s what we know.
Who is Nasrallah?
“Hassan Nasrallah is dead”declared Saturday morning on X a spokesperson for the Israeli army, Lieutenant-Colonel Nadav Shoshani. Another army spokesperson, Captain David Avraham, confirmed to AFP that the Hezbollah leader had been “eliminated” in the strike which targeted an area of the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday, presented by Israel as the movement’s HQ.
Shortly after this strike, a source close to Hezbollah assured that its leader “was fine”. But on Saturday morning, another source close to the pro-Iranian group admitted that the contact was ” lost “ with Hassan Nasrallah since Friday evening, without confirming his death.
The 64-year-old Hezbollah leader is considered the most powerful man in Lebanon, deciding war or peace in the country at the head of an impressive, heavily armed militia.
This man of religion is the subject of a true cult of personality among his followers, particularly within the Shiite Muslim community from which he comes.
A sworn enemy of Israel, he has rarely appeared in public since the war between his movement and the Israeli army in the summer of 2006, and his place of residence is kept secret.
He has been the charismatic leader of Hezbollah since 1992, when he succeeded Abbas Moussaoui, assassinated by Israel.
Since then, he has patiently made Hezbollah, armed and financed by Iran, evolve into an essential political force, represented in Parliament and in the government.
At the same time, he has developed the arsenal of his formation, which according to him has 100,000 fighters, and has powerful weapons, including high-precision missiles.
What happened on Friday?
Just before 6:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. GMT) on Friday, huge explosions rang out in Beirut and its surrounding areas, causing panic among residents.
A “Series of Israeli strikes targeted southern suburbs” from the capital, a stronghold of Hezbollah, reports the official Lebanese press agency.
Columns of smoke rising from different locations are visible in images broadcast live by local television and the sirens of ambulances held up in the Lebanese capital.
The raid destroyed dozens of buildings, forced hundreds of people to flee and left at least six dead, according to a report from the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
At the site of the strikes, in Haret Hreik, several huge craters measuring up to five meters in diameter were visible, according to AFP photographers on site.
Residents of the densely populated neighborhood described hearing successive explosions and having their homes destroyed. “shaken” by these.
Israel declared just after conducting a “precise strike” on the “headquarters” Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The army spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, clarified that this headquarters “located under residential buildings in the heart of Dahiyeh”Arabic term for ” suburb “.
A source close to Hezbollah said the strikes targeted buildings in a residential area where there are organizations and offices belonging to Hezbollah and its elected officials.
Intense nocturnal strikes
Throughout the night, Israeli strikes targeted several areas of the southern suburbs.
After an evacuation warning issued Friday evening by the Israeli army, hundreds of residents of the southern suburbs fled in haste towards the capital a few kilometers away. Entire families slept in the street, in the city center or along the corniche.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for several rocket attacks against northern Israel on Saturday.
Who is Hezbollah
This political and military formation, created, armed and financed by Iran, was engaged in a deadly conflict with Israel in 2006, which traumatized Lebanon but during which it consolidated its power.
After the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7 and the start of the war in Gaza, Hezbollah reactivated Israel’s northern front, ” support “ to its Palestinian ally.
Cross-border clashes degenerated into near-widespread conflict earlier this week, with Israel launching a massive bombing campaign on Hezbollah strongholds in southern and eastern Lebanon as well as the southern suburbs of Beirut.
For months, Israel has considerably weakened the movement by eliminating one of its highest commanders, including its military leader Fouad Chokr, killed in July in a strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Confirmation of the death of Hassan Nasrallah would be a new blow to the movement.
Related News :