Israel military says Hezbollah chief Nasrallah 'eliminated' in Beirut strike | WATCH

Israel's military announced Saturday that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut the previous night, but there was no confirmation from the Lebanese armed group.

"Hassan Nasrallah is dead," military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani announced on X.

Captain David Avraham, another military spokesman, also confirmed to AFP that the Hezbollah chief had been "eliminated" following strikes Friday on the Lebanese capital.

A source close to the Iran-backed group told AFP on condition of anonymity that contact with Nasrallah had been lost since Friday evening.

Contact with him was lost for two days and he was rumoured to have been killed during Israel's last war with Hezbollah in 2006, the source said, adding that he later re-emerged unscathed.

There has been no official confirmation from Hezbollah about Nasrallah's fate since the Israeli military's announcement.

Strikes Target Key Hezbollah Commanders

The Israeli military's statement revealed that the strikes also killed Ali Karake, described as the commander of Hezbollah's southern front, along with several other unnamed Hezbollah commanders.

The military described Nasrallah’s death as the culmination of his 32-year tenure as Secretary-General of Hezbollah. "During Hassan Nasrallah's reign, he was responsible for the murder of many Israeli civilians and soldiers and the planning and execution of thousands of terrorist activities," the statement said. It also highlighted Nasrallah's role in directing terrorist attacks worldwide, resulting in the deaths of civilians of multiple nationalities.

Nasrallah, who has led Hezbollah since 1992, was a central figure in the group's strategy and decision-making, the statement added.

Airstrikes and Rocket Attacks Intensify

Israeli airstrikes targeted southern Beirut and the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon on Saturday morning, while Hezbollah fired rockets into northern and central Israel, as well as the Israel-occupied West Bank. The strikes caused widespread damage and displacement, with smoke rising from Beirut’s southern suburbs after a night of heavy bombardment. Streets in the area were deserted, while shelters in the city center were overflowing with displaced families. Many people were forced to sleep in public squares, on beaches, or in their cars.

Hundreds of residents fled the city on foot, carrying infants and belongings, making their way to the mountains above Beirut in search of safety.

Casualties and Rising Death Toll
Lebanon's Health Ministry reported that at least six people were killed and 91 wounded in Friday's airstrikes targeting Hezbollah. The escalating violence has pushed Lebanon closer to full-scale war, with the death toll now standing at over 720 people in Lebanon in the past week alone. Rescue teams are still searching through the rubble of six buildings destroyed in the strikes, with the death toll expected to rise significantly.