Israeli Military Claims Hezbollah Chief Nasrallah Has Been Killed, According to Reuters

By Ari Rabinovitch and Maya Gebeily

JERUSALEM/BEIRUT – On Saturday, Israel announced that it had killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during an airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut the previous day. This development represents a significant setback for Hezbollah amid a series of escalating Israeli attacks.

Hezbollah officials were not immediately available for comment, and the Iran-backed group has yet to confirm the status of Nasrallah, who has led the organization for 32 years. If confirmed, his death would represent a considerable loss not only for Hezbollah but also for its Iranian supporters. Nasrallah has been instrumental in bolstering Iranian influence throughout the Middle East as a prominent figure in the Tehran-backed "Axis of Resistance."

The Israeli military stated that Nasrallah was killed in a "targeted strike" on the group’s underground command center located beneath a residential building in Dahiyeh, an area under Hezbollah’s control. Alongside Nasrallah, another high-ranking Hezbollah leader, Ali Karaki, and additional commanders were also reported killed.

"The strike occurred while Hezbollah’s senior command was operating from the headquarters and was engaged in planning terrorist activities against Israeli citizens," the military said.

The airstrike in Dahiyeh rattled Beirut, with local reports indicating that the assault caused multiple powerful explosions, creating a crater at least 20 meters deep. This attack was followed by additional bombings in Dahiyeh and other regions of Lebanon on Saturday, further intensifying the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

The situation has raised alarm over the potential for the conflict to escalate, with concerns that it could involve Iran—Hezbollah’s main backer—as well as the United States.

Late on Friday, a source close to Hezbollah stated that Nasrallah was unreachable. In the initial hours following the attack, another source close to the organization reported that Nasrallah was alive, which was also echoed by Iran’s Tasnim news agency. A senior Iranian security official indicated that Tehran was investigating his whereabouts.

Israel continued its military offensive on Saturday following the attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs the day before.