Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an air attack(Image: Al-Manar/AFP via Getty Images)

Hassan Nasrallah dead: Hezbollah leader killed in huge Beirut airstrike, says Israel

The leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, is dead after an air strike this morning, according to Israel's military after avoiding public for years over his safety

28 Sep 2024, 08:08 by Antony Clements-Thrower · The Mirror

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an air strike this morning which also left more than 90 injured, according to reports from Israel's military.

Sources claim they carried out a precise airstrike while Hezbollah leadership was meeting at their headquarters in Dahiyeh, south of Beirut. Also killed in the attack was Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollah's Southern Front, as well as additional group leaders.

Six buildings were destroyed in the devastating airstrike, with dozens more seriously injured. At least six are dead - including Nasrallah - with the death toll expected to increase in the coming hours. Hezbollah is yet to confirm this morning's claims.

Israel Defence Forces wrote on X: "Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world."

It said an hour before the attack: "Yet again, sirens are sounding all over northern Israel. We will keep operating against Hezbollah until all of our civilians can safely return home.

"Muhammad Ali Ismail, the Commander of Hezbollah’s Missile Unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy, Hussein Ahmad Ismail, were eliminated in a precise IAF strike. 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.

Flames caused by the airstrike on Beirut this morning( Image: AP)

" This follows the elimination of the terrorist Ibrahim Muhammad Qabisi, Head of Hezbollah's Missiles and Rockets Force, as well as other senior commanders of this unit."

Nasrallah is the latest, and most powerful, target to be killed by Israel in weeks of intensified fighting with Hezbollah. Israel's Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, added this morning the elimination of Nasrallah was "not the end of our toolbox." He said: "This is not the end of our capabilities. The message is clear: to anyone threatening the State of Israel, we will know how to reach you."

The aftermath of the attacks earlier this morning on the area of Beirut( Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Hours before the strikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations and vowed his country's campaign against Hezbollah would continue - further dimming hopes for any cease-fire. He immediately returned to Israel.

Nasrallah has not been seen in public for years over fears of an assassination attempt by Israel and had a key role in making Hezbollah into the force it is today. He was leader since 1992 when his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi, was also assassinated - in an Israeli helicopter strike.

On Friday, Brits were urged to leave Lebanon amid warnings the country faces a humanitarian "catastrophe" following the latest round of Israeli air strikes. The Foreign Office warned British nationals should "leave now" as series of massive explosions levelled multiple apartment buildings in Beirut.

Western governments have expressed concern the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah could trigger a wider regional war, with figures including Sir Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden calling for a ceasefire. The PM said to the UN on Thursday: "I call on Israel and Hezbollah. Stop the violence.

"Step back from the brink. We need to see an immediate ceasefire to provide space for a diplomatic settlement and we are working with all partners to that end."