Lebanon’s Nasrallah – Allegedly Killed by Israel

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who Israel claims to have killed, has been a pivotal figure in Hezbollah, steering the group through decades of strife with Israel while transforming it into a formidable military force with considerable regional influence, supported by Iran.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah has not yet commented on Nasrallah’s status, despite being the leader for 32 years. The Israeli military announced that it conducted an airstrike on Hezbollah’s central headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut, reportedly resulting in Nasrallah’s death.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee stated, "We eliminated … Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization." If confirmed by Hezbollah, Nasrallah will likely be remembered favorably by his supporters for his defiance against Israel and the United States. To his detractors, however, he is viewed as the head of a terrorist group acting as a proxy for Iran’s Shi’ite Islamist regime in its struggle for regional dominance.

Nasrallah’s influence in the region surfaced during nearly a year of conflict triggered by the Gaza war, wherein Hezbollah fired upon Israel from southern Lebanon to support Hamas, with aligned Yemeni and Iraqi groups participating under the banner of "The Axis of Resistance."

In an August 1 speech at the funeral of Hezbollah’s military commander, Fuad Shukr—who was killed in an Israeli assault—Nasrallah declared, "We are facing a great battle." However, as Hezbollah suffered significant casualties and damage to communication networks in apparent Israeli attacks, the tide began to turn against the group.

In response to the assault on its communication systems, Nasrallah vowed to retaliate against Israel in a September 19 address, stating, "This is a reckoning that will come… but we will keep the details to ourselves." This was his last broadcast address.

Israel’s military operations have intensified, resulting in the deaths of several high-ranking Hezbollah figures and extensive bombardments in areas under the group’s control, leading to hundreds of casualties.

Even acknowledged by adversaries as a compelling speaker, Nasrallah’s speeches attract attention from both supporters and critics. Presenting himself with the black turban signifying his lineage, he rallies Hezbollah’s base while issuing measured threats.

He became the Secretary General of Hezbollah in 1992 at age 35, becoming the public face of a group founded in 1982 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to combat Israeli occupation forces. His predecessor, Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi, was killed in an Israeli helicopter strike. Under Nasrallah’s leadership, Hezbollah successfully expelled Israeli forces from southern Lebanon in 2000, ending an 18-year occupation.

Nasrallah’s leadership has largely been marked by conflict with Israel. He declared "Divine Victory" in 2006 after Hezbollah fought a 34-day war with Israel, widely earning respect from many Arabs who had witnessed Israel’s previous military successes.

However, his increasingly polarizing figure within Lebanon and the broader Arab world as Hezbollah expanded its reach to Syria and beyond mirrored the exacerbating conflict between Shi’ite Iran and Sunni Arab monarchies allied with the U.S. While Nasrallah portrayed Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria as a battle against extremists, critics argued it entrenched the group in a wider sectarian conflict.

In Lebanon, his rivals argued that Hezbollah’s regional actions exacted a heavy toll on the country, resulting in previously friendly Gulf nations distancing themselves—a contributing factor to Lebanon’s financial crisis in 2019.

In the aftermath of the 2006 war, Nasrallah navigated the potential for renewed conflict with Israel, amassing Iranian rockets while maintaining a careful balance of threats. The Gaza war, sparked by a Hamas attack on Israel in October, elicited the worst conflict with Israel for Hezbollah since 2006, resulting in numerous fatalities among its combatants, including senior commanders.

"The price we pay is for supporting Gaza and the Palestinian cause," Nasrallah stated in his August 1 speech. He originated from Beirut’s impoverished Karantina district and came from a family with roots in Bazouriyeh, a predominantly Shi’ite village, which is now Hezbollah’s political stronghold.

Nasrallah was influenced by Iran’s Islamic Revolution of 1979 and, before leading Hezbollah, spent time with guerrilla fighters working against the Israeli military presence. The death of his teenage son, Hadi, in battle in 1997 bolstered his legitimacy among Lebanon’s Shi’ite population.

Throughout his leadership, he has issued threats to prominent enemies. Amid escalating regional tensions following the Gaza conflict, Nasrallah hinted at threats to U.S. naval vessels in the Mediterranean, asserting, "We are prepared for the fleets that threaten us."

In 2020, following the assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike, he pledged that American soldiers would leave the area in coffins. He has also fiercely opposed Saudi Arabia’s military actions in Yemen, which are aimed at countering the Iran-aligned Houthis.

Nasrallah has not only faced external adversaries but also clashed with domestic ones in Lebanon. In 2008, he accused the Lebanese government of declaring war by attempting to dismantle Hezbollah’s internal communication networks, leading to a brief civil conflict with Sunni and Druze forces.

Furthermore, he has repeatedly denied any Hezbollah role in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, dismissing a U.N.-backed tribunal that indicted Hezbollah members as a tool wielded by the group’s enemies.