The leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has been killed, the organization confirmed in an official statement on Saturday.
In a statement, Hezbollah emphasized that it will continue the fight against Israel “in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defense of Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people.”
Israel announced earlier in the day that Nasrallah had been killed in an airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut a day earlier. Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV began broadcasting Quranic verses following the news of his death.
The Israeli military said Nasrallah was killed in a “targeted attack” on the group’s underground headquarters, located beneath a residential building in Dahiya, Hezbollah’s stronghold south of Beirut.
Another senior Hezbollah leader, Ali Karaki, was killed along with him, as well as several other commanders.
“The attack was carried out while Hezbollah’s senior chain of command was operating from headquarters and carrying out terrorist activities against the citizens of the State of Israel,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
On Friday night, airstrikes on Dahiya shook Beirut. A Lebanese security source said the powerful explosions left a crater at least 20 meters deep.
