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(FILES) A poster of Lebanon's Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah with a slogan in Arabic reading "We miss you" hangs from a building as its residents stand on balconies to listen to a televised speech by Nasrallah to mark the sixth anniversary of the 2006 war with Israel in southern Beirut on July 18, 2012. - Israel's military announced on September 28, 2024 that Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut the previous night, but there was no confirmation from the Lebanese armed group. (Photo by Anwar AMRO / AFP)
The Israeli Defense Force announced on Saturday that it had killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a targeted airstrike on the group’s central headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon.
The IDF confirmed the attack in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world.”
Nasrallah, who has led the Iranian-backed Hezbollah for over 30 years, was reportedly killed during the Israeli airstrike on Friday in Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold in the Lebanese capital.
The strike, which utilised bunker-busting munitions, caused a massive explosion that levelled several buildings in the area, according to video footage released by the IDF.
The IDF also announced the deaths of two senior Hezbollah officials, Muhammad Ismail, commander of Hezbollah’s Missile Unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy, Hussein Ahmad Ismail.
Both were said to be involved in recent missile attacks on Israel, including a surface-to-surface missile aimed at central Israel on Wednesday.
While Nasrallah’s death has not been independently confirmed, a U.S. official told ABC News that he was the target of the airstrike and was present in Beirut at the time.
“Muhammad Ismail, the commander of Hezbollah’s Missile Unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy, Hussein Ahmad Ismail, were eliminated in a precise IAF strike,” the IDF said in a statement on X on Saturday morning.
“Ali Ismail was responsible for directing numerous terrorist attacks against the State of Israel, including the firing of rockets toward Israeli territory and the launch of a surface-to-surface missile toward central Israel on Wednesday.”
The strike is part of Israel’s ongoing military response to attacks by Hezbollah and Hamas, following the October 7, 2023, assault by Palestinian militants on an Israeli music festival, which left over 100 people dead and more than 1,000 injured.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a speech at the UN shortly before the airstrike, urged Lebanon not to allow Hezbollah to drag the country into war.
“We’re not at war with you. We’re at war with Hezbollah, which has hijacked your country and threatens to destroy ours,” Netanyahu said, warning that Israel would continue to take necessary action to defend itself.
Netanyahu also addressed Iran, which backs Hezbollah, warning Tehran against supporting further attacks on Israel.
“If you strike us, we will strike you. There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach,” he declared.
The Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed two deaths and 70 injuries from the airstrike, but it remains unclear whether Nasrallah was among the casualties.
The IDF has intensified its efforts to eliminate Hezbollah and Hamas leaders since the October attacks, which have escalated tensions in the region.
