Hezbollah confirms ‘martyrdom’ of Hassan Nasrallah in Israeli airstrike

BEIRUT (AA) – Hezbollah announced on Saturday that its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah had been “martyred” following what it described as a “treacherous Zionist raid” on the southern suburb of Beirut.

In a statement, Hezbollah declared: “Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, has joined his great and immortal martyred comrades, whose path he led for about thirty years, becoming a martyr on the road to Jerusalem and Palestine.”

The statement emphasized Nasrallah’s decades-long leadership in the resistance against Israel, noting that his dedication to the cause of Palestinian liberation defined his life and now his “martyrdom.”

Nasrallah, who had been Hezbollah’s secretary-general since 1992, played a key role in the Lebanese resistance movement, particularly in its confrontations with Israeli forces.

His death marks a significant moment in the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.

The Hezbollah statement concluded by reaffirming the group’s commitment to Nasrallah’s mission, saying: “His martyrdom will only strengthen the resolve of the resistance to continue the struggle against the Zionist enemy and liberate Palestine.”

Earlier in a statement on Saturday, the Israeli army said Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was “liquidated” during an operation targeting the central command of Hezbollah in Beirut.

Since Monday, the Israeli army has launched its “most intense and wide-reaching” assault on Lebanon since its confrontations with Hezbollah began about a year ago.

In response, Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets at Israeli military sites, settlements, and even the Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv, with a strict blackout on Israeli casualties and damage, according to observers.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel’s onslaught on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 41,600, mostly women and children, following an attack by Hamas last Oct. 7.