Israeli military has ‘simple message’ after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah killed in Lebanon | World News

Israeli army chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi vowed Saturday to “reach out” to anyone posing a threat to Israeli citizens, after the army confirmed airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanon , had killed the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah.

The attack, which reportedly hit the group’s central headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs, represents a major escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

“This is not the end of our toolbox. The message is simple: whoever threatens Israeli citizens – we will know how to reach them,” Halevi said in an official statement.

He added that the strike, which killed Nasrallah, had been meticulously planned for some time and executed with precision. “This attack has been planned for a long time, executed at the right time with great precision, and now we move forward, carefully preparing the next steps.”

Read also | Who was Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah leader killed in an Israeli strike? 5 things to know about him

Hard blow for Hezbollah

The assassination of Nasrallah, who led Iran-backed Hezbollah for more than three decades, if confirmed, would be a major blow to the militant group, which has been involved in cross-border skirmishes with Israel since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas. in October.

Nasrallah, 64, has long been a close ally of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and plays a central role in Tehran’s strategy to project influence in the region through proxy forces.

In a statement published on »

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Another senior Hezbollah official, Ali Karaki, was also killed in the attack, according to Adraee.

Hezbollah has yet to issue an official statement confirming Nasrallah’s death, and Iranian state media have reported conflicting versions of his status. A senior Iranian security official told Reuters that Tehran was still investigating whether Nasrallah had been killed. Shortly after the attack, a source close to Hezbollah told Reuters that Nasrallah was alive, although he could not be reached in the hours following the airstrike.

Since taking over as leader in the early 1990s, Nasrallah has transformed Hezbollah from a local militia into a formidable regional force, deeply aligned with Iran’s political and military goals. The group is widely seen as Iran’s most powerful proxy in the Middle East, forming the core of the so-called “axis of resistance” against Israel and US interests in the region.

Israeli forces intensified airstrikes against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon last week, killing several senior commanders. According to Lebanese officials, more than 600 people have died in Israeli attacks this week, including 50 children. Israel maintains that its military actions are necessary to stop Hezbollah rocket attacks and prevent the group from moving closer to the Israeli border.

With the contribution of agencies