The martyrdom of Hassan Nasrallah in Zionist strike southern Beirut

BEIRUT – The leader of the Lebanese movement Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, has been martyred in an attack carried out by the Zionist entity forces on the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to a statement from Hezbollah on Saturday.

“Sayed Hassan Nasrallah has joined his fellow martyrs (…) whom he has led for nearly thirty years,” said the Lebanese group in a statement.

On Friday, the Zionist entity forces launched massive bombardments on Dahiyeh southern Beirut. Although the Lebanese health authorities reported the martyrdom of six individuals, the toll is likely to be much higher.

The Zionist incessant and indiscriminate attacks have led to mass displacements, as hundreds of thousands fled their homes since last week.

Who is Hassan Nasrallah?

Amidst an exacerbating situation in the region, with a looming expectation of a Zionist ground invasion to Lebanon, the absence of Nasrallah from the scene constitutes a significant blow to Hezbollah.

Born in 1960 to a poor family in Beirut, Nasrallah became head of Hezbollah’s executive council in 1985 and took over as leader after the assassination of Abbas al-Musawi in 1992.

He led significant operations that resulted in the withdrawal of the Zionist occupation forces from southern Lebanon in 2000 and commanded Hezbollah during the July War in 2006, where the Zionist entity faced heavy losses and was forced to retreat without achieving its objectives.

In October 2021, Nasrallah said that Hezbollah had 100,000 fighters, making it one of the most powerful non-state armed organisations in the world.

In October 7 of last year, Hassan Nasrallah announced the opening of a “Southern Lebanon front to support the Palestinian resistance,” saying in his speeches it would “not rest until the war on Gaza is over.”