The Lebanese group Hezbollah has confirmed the demise of Hassan Nasrallah, its longtime chief, in an air strike on the group’s underground headquarters close to the capital, Beirut.
Hours after Israel claimed killing the 64-year-old Nasrallah, the Iran-backed Hezbollah on Saturday mentioned its chief “has joined his fellow martyrs” and pledged it will “proceed the holy conflict in opposition to the enemy and in help of Palestine” amid fears {that a} regional conflict is now inevitable.
Israel carried out a big strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Friday night, which it mentioned focused the Hezbollah chief, flattening a minimum of six residential buildings.
Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah for greater than three many years, is by far essentially the most highly effective goal to be killed by Israel in weeks of intensified combating with Hezbollah. In response to the United Nations, greater than 50,000 individuals have fled Lebanon for Syria, as Israel’s assaults on Lebanon have killed a minimum of 700 individuals since Monday.
Israeli jets pounded south Beirut and its outskirts all through the night time into Saturday, in essentially the most intense assaults on the Hezbollah stronghold because the group and Israel final went to conflict in 2006.
Nasrallah had not often been seen in public since 2006. He was elected secretary-general of Hezbollah in 1992, aged 32, after an Israeli helicopter gunship killed his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi.
Hezbollah
The Lebanese group confirmed in a press release its chief had been killed “following the treacherous Zionist strike on the southern suburbs” of Beirut.
The group’s assertion mentioned Nasrallah had “joined his nice and immortal martyred comrades, whose path he led for almost 30 years”.
The group mentioned it pledged “to the best, most sacred and most valuable martyr in our journey” to “proceed its jihad in confronting the enemy, in help of Gaza and Palestine, and in defence of Lebanon and its steadfast and honourable individuals”.
Hamas
Hamas has condemned the killing of the Lebanese chief as “cowardly, terrorist act”.
“We condemn within the strongest phrases this barbaric Zionist aggression and concentrating on of residential buildings,” the group mentioned in a press release, accusing Israel of disregarding “all worldwide values, customs and charters” and “blatantly threaten[ing] worldwide safety and peace, in gentle of silence, helplessness and worldwide neglect”.
“Within the face of this Zionist crime and bloodbath, we renew our absolute solidarity and stand united with the brothers in Hezbollah and the Islamic resistance in Lebanon,” the group mentioned.
Fatah
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the “brutal Israeli aggression”.
The Palestinian Fatah motion supplied condolences and emphasised “the historic relationship between the Lebanese individuals and their resistance and Palestine”.
Iran
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a press release saying Nasrallah’s killing “will solely additional strengthen the resistance”. He added the US can’t deny complicity.
Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared 5 days of mourning for the Hezbollah chief. He known as on all Muslims to rise in opposition to Israel and mentioned Nasrallah’s blood “won’t go unavenged”.
“The destiny of this area might be decided by the resistance with Hezbollah on the prime,” Khamenei mentioned.
The nation’s international ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani mentioned in a publish on X that “the wonderful path of the Resistance chief … will proceed and his sacred purpose of liberating Jerusalem might be achieved.” Iranian Vice President Mohammad Javad Zarif praised Nasrallah as a “image of the struggle in opposition to oppression”.
Iraq
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemned the assault as “shameful” and “against the law that exhibits the Zionist entity has crossed all of the pink traces”.
In a press release, Sudani known as Nasrallah “a martyr on the trail of the righteous”, and declared a three-day mourning interval.
It got here shortly after influential Iraqi Shia Muslim chief Muqtada al-Sadr additionally introduced three days of mourning. The chief of the Sadrist motion in Iraq wrote on X: “Farewell to the companion of the trail of resistance and defiance.”
Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israel’s current assaults in Lebanon as a part of what he known as an Israeli coverage of “genocide, occupation, and invasion”, urging the UN Safety Council and different our bodies to cease Israel.
In a publish on X, Erdogan, with out naming Nasrallah, mentioned Turkey stood with the Lebanese individuals and its authorities, providing his condolences for these killed within the Israeli strikes, whereas saying the Muslim world ought to present a extra “decided” stance.
Yemen’s Houthis
Yemen’s Houthi rebels mentioned Nasrallah’s killing would strengthen their willpower to confront their Israeli foes.
“The martyrdom of… Hassan Nasrallah will improve the flame of sacrifice, the warmth of enthusiasm, the energy of resolve,” the rebels’ management council mentioned in a press release, vowing to attain “victory and the demise of the Israeli enemy”.
Lebanon
Lebanon’s former prime minister, Saad Hariri, condemned Israel’s killing of Nasrallah, saying it “plunges Lebanon and the area into a brand new section of violence”. Hariri’s personal father and former prime minister, Rafik Hariri, was killed in an assassination extensively blamed on Hezbollah.
United Nations
UN Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres mentioned Saturday he was “gravely involved” by the “dramatic escalation” seen in Lebanon previously day as Israel targets Hezbollah within the capital Beirut, a UN spokesperson mentioned.
Germany
International minister Annalena Baerbock warned the state of affairs in Lebanon is extraordinarily harmful and that there’s a threat the whole area will slip additional into an “absolute spiral of violence”.
France
The French Ministry for Europe and International Affairs mentioned in a press release that it’s involved with the Lebanese authorities and France’s companions within the area to forestall destabilisation and conflagration.
Jean-Luc Melenchon, a left-wing French politician and former Member of the European Parliament, mentioned the assassination “is yet another step in direction of the invasion of Lebanon and basic conflict”.
In a publish on X, he mentioned: “France now not counts on the bottom. Netanyahu’s crimes will proceed since they’re unpunished. The hazard is excessive for the area and the world.”
Russia
Russia’s international ministry has launched a press release the place it strongly condemns Israel’s killing of Nasrallah and calls on Israel to cease hostilities in Lebanon.
“This forceful motion is fraught with even better dramatic penalties for Lebanon and the whole Center East,” the assertion mentioned.
International minister Sergey Lavrov advised the UN Common Meeting he’s involved “by the now virtually commonplace observe of political killings”.