Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah Killed in Israeli Airstrike

Last updated on September 28th, 2024 at 09:59 am

Israeli aircraft killed Hezbollah political leader Hassan Nasrallah in a strike in the Dehieh suburb of Beirut, Lebanon on Sept. 27.

The Israeli military first announced the strike on Friday, and by Saturday, concluded Nasrallah was killed. Hezbollah initially held out hope their leader would emerge from the rubble of their Dehieh headquarters, but the militant group’s media channels have since published a statement mourning his death.

Hezbollah formed in 1985 in reaction to an ongoing Israeli invasion of Lebanon. The group represents a predominantly Shia Muslim political front within Lebanese internal politics, and operates paramilitary forces that first fought to expel Israel from Lebanon and have engaged in subsequent cross-border clashes in the decades since.

The United States and Israel, among other nations, have classified Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, and the group has fought sporadically with Israel in the four decades since its inception.

Nasrallah came to lead Hezbollah in 1992, as the group was still fighting to drive Israeli forces from Lebanon.

Hezbollah has been in a renewed state of battle with Israel since Oct. 8 of last year; the day after Hamas fighters carried out widespread attacks across southern Israel. Hezbollah began launching drones and missiles at Shebaa Farms; a disputed section of territory along the Israeli-Lebanese border currently controlled by Israel.

Israeli forces returned fire after the initial Shebaa Farms attack, and the situation has escalated into a broader cross-border clash that has forced civilian evacuations on both sides of the border. Hezbollah has indicated it would continue to fight until Israel discontinues its operations in the Gaza Strip.

The cross-border clash has escalated in recent weeks.

Hundreds of people were injured and killed in Lebanon on Sept. 17-18 as pagers and other personal electronic devices began to explode. The attack appeared to heavily impact members of Hezbollah, though civilians were also reported killed during the explosions.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for the pager explosions, but Hezbollah and Lebanese government officials have concluded Israeli actors likely booby-trapped and detonated the personal electronic devices.

While Israel did not claim responsibility for the pager explosions, they have acknowledged conducting numerous air strikes across Lebanon in the days following the wave of pager explosions.

This week, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi advised Israeli ground troops to prepare for a cross-border assault into Lebanon. Halevi said Israeli aircraft would continue to target Hezbollah leaders and military capabilities, to degrade their fighting force ahead of the potential ground assault.

In a statement following Nasrallah’s death, the Israeli military said the Hezbollah leader was responsible for thousands of terrorist attacks targeting Israeli civilians.

The IDF has said they’re continuing to target Hezbollah’s military capabilities following Nasrallah’s death.

In their statement mourning Nasrallah’s death, Hezbollah leaders vowed to continue fighting “in support of Gaza and Palestine and in defense of Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people.”