The Israel Defence Forces have intensified bombings of Lebanon late Saturday after the assassination of Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah of the Iranian-backed group.
Israeli airstrikes battered areas near Beirut again on Saturday evening, hours after Hezbollah confirmed that its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah had been killed in an Israeli bombing that destroyed residential buildings near Lebanon’s capital the night before.
The assassination, which Israel said hit the Iranian-backed militia’s underground headquarters, was a stunning escalation of Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah in a conflict that has gone on for nearly a year. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel on Oct. 8 in solidarity with Hamas, which is also supported by Iran. Israel frequently responded, intensifying its attacks dramatically over the last two weeks, fueling fears of an all-out regional war that could draw in bigger players like Iran.
Nasrallah was a towering figure among anti-Israel forces across the Middle East and beyond, and his death struck a tremendous blow to Hezbollah. He played multiple roles in the lives of the group’s members, serving at once as a religious guide, political strategist and commander in chief.
His death deprives the organization of his vast experience, personal relationships with other militia leaders and the unifying force of his rhetoric and personality.
In what is perhaps a testament to Nasrallah’s power, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said in a video statement on Saturday that he had ordered the assassination because Nasrallah would have managed to rebuild Hezbollah’s capabilities, no matter how battered. But he said that “the work was still incomplete.”
Responding to the death of Nasrallah, United States President Joe Biden said Nasrallah’s assassination “is a measure of justice for his many victims,” including Americans, but he called for a diplomatic resolution and an end to the fighting “for the broader Middle East region to gain stability.”
Meanwhile, the Israel military said on Sunday that it has eliminated another senior Hezbollah official, Nabil Qaouk, in a precise airstrike.
Qaouk was a commander of Hezbollah’s Preventative Security Unit and a member of their Executive Council.
The IDF rolled out the announcement of his elimination on X on Sunday, and wrote: “ELIMINATED: The Commander of Hezbollah’s Preventative Security Unit and a member of their Executive Council, Nabil Qaouk, was eliminated in a precise IDF strike.”
Qaouk, notably joined Hezbollah in the 1980s and was regarded as an important source of expertise in his field.
