Hours after the Iran-allied militant group Hezbollah confirmed that its leader Hassan Nasrallah had been killed in a massive Israeli airstrike, sirens rang in Tel Aviv and Israeli forces attacked Beirut. Violence has flared up again with continued attacks on targets in southern Lebanon.
On September 28, Israeli military officials said an air raid siren sounded at Tel Aviv’s airport as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned from the United States to address the United Nations, and officials said they were intercepted by a missile fired by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. announced that it had been done. The sky above the city. No injuries were immediately reported.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said Nasrallah’s death brought “a degree of justice” to his many victims over the past decades, and said Israel had the right to protect itself from “terrorist organizations”. said.
It is unclear whether the missile attack on Tel Aviv airport was specifically targeted at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who cut short a visit to the United States amid recent violence. Violence escalated on September 27 when Israel launched a major offensive into southern Lebanon, killing Prime Minister Nasrallah and several other leaders. A terrorist organization designated by the United States.
On September 28, the Israeli military continued its airstrikes against facilities it said house Hezbollah commanders and weapons, including “precision strikes” on facilities in Beirut.
After several hours of widespread speculation, Hezbollah acknowledged earlier claims by the Israeli military that it had killed Nasrallah in a series of attacks that also claimed the lives of several other members of the group.
Hezbollah said in a statement on September 28: “Hezbollah Secretary-General Syed Hassan Nasrallah has joined the great and immortal comrade martyr that he has led for almost 30 years.”
Hezbollah has vowed to continue fighting Israel despite the death of its longtime leader. There is no indication as to who will succeed Nasrallah.
U.S. officials have said they had no prior knowledge of the attack by close ally Israel and had no role in the action, but the White House said U.S. officials said they had no prior knowledge of the attack by Israel, a close ally, and had no role in the action. He said he had been briefed on the possibility of strengthening operations against Hezbollah.
Biden said in a statement released by the White House that Nasrallah and Hezbollah are responsible for the deaths of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese over the past 40 years.
“Hassan Nasrallah and his terrorist organization Hezbollah are responsible for killing hundreds of Americans during a four-decade reign of terror. His death in an Israeli airstrike leaves thousands of Americans dead. “It is a measure of justice for his many victims, including Israelis and Lebanese civilians,” he said.
Biden, whose term ends on January 20, 2025, said the United States would protect Israel from Hezbollah, Hamas (also listed as a terrorist organization by the United States), the Houthi rebels, and other Iranian-backed terrorist organizations. He said that the United States fully supports the right to protect the United States. . ”
“It’s time for a ceasefire,” Biden told reporters later, when asked if an Israeli ground invasion was inevitable.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate who will face Republican Donald Trump in the November 5 presidential election, echoed Biden’s remarks, saying, “Hassan Nasrallah has American blood in his veins.” He was a terrorist.”
“I have an unwavering commitment to Israel’s security. I will always support Iran and its right to protect it from Iranian-backed terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.”
Amid rising tensions, the State Department ordered some employees of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut and their families to leave Lebanon.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “gravely concerned” by the “dramatic escalation” seen in Lebanon over the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the Russian government condemned Nasrallah’s murder, with the Foreign Ministry calling it “another political assassination.”
“This strong action has even bigger and more dramatic consequences for Lebanon and the entire Middle East,” it said.
Early on September 28, the Israeli military announced that it had killed Nasrallah in a series of airstrikes in Beirut the previous day.
In a statement on X, Avichai Adlai, an Arabic spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, said that Nasrallah: Ali Karki, Hezbollah’s Southern Front Commander. And many other commanders of the group were also killed.
The military later announced that a September 28 attack had killed a senior Hezbollah intelligence official, identified as Hassan Khalil Yassin.
“The message is clear: we will reach out to everyone who threatens the Israeli people in the north, south and on the more distant fronts,” Adlai said.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is subject to U.S. sanctions, announced that its top commander, Abbas Nirforshan, 58, was also killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Nilforshan himself was sanctioned in 2022 by the U.S. Treasury Department, which identified him as the deputy commander of operations for the Revolutionary Guards, who led an organization “directly responsible for suppressing protests” in Iran. did.
The Israel Defense Forces also posted a message to X saying, “Hassan Nasrallah can no longer terrorize the world.”
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said at least 33 people were killed and nearly 195 injured, but said the death toll could be higher after the ruins of some destroyed buildings are cleared. .
The United Nations estimates that more than 50,000 people have fled Lebanon to neighboring Syria amid the Israeli offensive, leaving around 110,000 displaced.
In a statement announcing Nasrallah’s death, Hezbollah also openly acknowledged the group’s close ties to Tehran and expressed condolences to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
Khamenei issued a statement on September 28 condemning Israel’s “genocide” in Lebanon, but did not mention Nasrallah’s fate.
“The massacre of the defenseless people in Lebanon once again revealed to everyone the ferocity of the Zionist mad dog and proved the short-sighted and foolish policy of the usurping regime’s leaders,” Khamenei said.
However, Reuters, citing sources, said that Khamenei had been moved to a safe location under high security.
Israeli media also reported on September 28 that Prime Minister Nasrallah’s daughter Zainab Nasrallah was killed in an airstrike. Hezbollah has not confirmed this report. Nasrallah’s son Hadi was killed in combat with Israeli forces in 1997.
The Israeli military initially announced on September 27 that a series of airstrikes targeted Hezbollah’s “central headquarters” under a residential building in Beirut, without officially mentioning Nasrallah by name.
Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union has blacklisted Hezbollah’s armed wing, but not political parties. Hezbollah’s party has seats in the Lebanese parliament.
Hezbollah was founded with Iranian support nearly 40 years ago, and Nasrallah joined the newly formed group in 1982. He oversaw Hezbollah becoming one of the most powerful militias in the Middle East.
Hezbollah, led by Nasrallah, has forged close ties with other Iranian proxies and Tehran-backed armed groups, helping to train and arm fighters.
Heiko Winmen, an analyst at the International Crisis Group, told RFE/RL that while Israel’s repeated attacks could not completely annihilate Hezbollah, they significantly weakened its status.
He said the strike would put pressure on the group to show it could still respond strongly.
“This is clearly another dramatic blow. Many dramatic blows can add up to a fundamental blow. In general, Hamas is too organized to be decapitated. But (Israelis) have killed off so many leaders that anything could happen.”And if they lack credibility, they will use everything they have against Israel.” To throw it at them, it will deepen the impression that they can’t do it. ”
Norman Ruhl, an analyst at the Washington-based National Security Institute, said Israel has weakened Hezbollah to the point that the Lebanese government could effectively eliminate it.
“The Israel Defense Forces exterminated an entire generation of Hezbollah leaders who collectively had accumulated invaluable experience. … In a perfect world, the Lebanese government would use this moment to assert its authority and It will take Lebanon out of this problem.’ (But) it’s too early to say whether this will happen,” Ruhr told RFE/RL.
Berlin-based analyst Ali Fasolullah Nejad told RFE/RL that Nasrallah’s death is also a major embarrassment for Iran’s leadership.
“This would be the biggest blow to Tehran’s regional standing since the killing of General Qasem Soleimani by a US drone. It formed the core of our ambition,” Fasola Nejad told RFE. /RL before death was confirmed.
In the early hours of September 28, Israeli forces launched new attacks against Hezbollah targets in southern Beirut and eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, claiming that Hezbollah was storing weapons there. Residents were urged to evacuate.
It was also reported that Hezbollah continues to fire rockets at Israel. The group claims to be supporting Hamas fighters, which are listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, and has increased the intensity of its firing on Israel since the start of the Gaza war.
Families and children lie on the ground in Beirut’s Martyrs Square after fleeing Israeli airstrikes on the southern outskirts of Beirut on September 28.
On September 27, Prime Minister Netanyahu warned at the United Nations that he would not stop taking action against Hezbollah, saying, “We will continue to undermine Hezbollah until all our objectives are achieved.”
Reports by Reuters and AFP
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