Israel announced on Saturday that its forces had killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, in an attack on a suburb of southern Beirut. Nasrallah, who has led Hezbollah for the past three decades, had not been confirmed dead by Hezbollah as of early Saturday morning. Under Nasrallah’s leadership, Hezbollah became a powerful paramilitary group in the Middle East, trained other Iran proxies, and fought in Syria. Nasrallah called for the “liberation” of Jerusalem and supported Hamas’ attacks on Israel.
Nasrallah was born in Beirut in 1960 and joined the Amal Movement before becoming a founding member of Hezbollah in 1982. He rose to become the group’s secretary-general after its formation. Nasrallah led Hezbollah in conflicts with Israel, including the 2006 war that ended in a United Nations-backed cease-fire. Israel targeted Nasrallah in an effort to defend itself against Iranian-backed groups in the region.
Israeli airstrikes targeted Hezbollah’s central headquarters in Beirut, causing casualties in the area. Israeli and Lebanese leaders returned from the U.N. General Assembly following the attack. The U.S. has pushed for a cease-fire proposal to prevent further escalation. The Biden administration was unaware of Israel’s plans to target Nasrallah. There are concerns about the possibility of an escalation of war in the Middle East, with Israel potentially launching a ground operation in Lebanon.
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