IDF claims to have killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah

The Israeli military says it is mobilizing additional reserve soldiers as tensions escalate with Lebanon.

On Saturday morning, the Israeli army carried out several strikes in southern Beirut and the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, while Hezbollah launched dozens of projectiles into northern and central Israel as well as in the West Bank occupied by Israel.

The army announced Saturday morning that it was activating three battalions of reserve soldiers, after sending two battalions to northern Israel earlier in the week to train for a possible ground invasion.

The Israel Broadcasting Authority said Air France, Aegean, British Airways and Iberia had canceled flights to Israel following the Israeli military’s announcement of the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

An Iranian official announced that Iran would begin registering for the deployment of forces to Lebanon in the coming days.

“With the public registration, authorities will certainly grant permission to deploy forces in Lebanon and the Golan Heights,” said Ayatollah Mohammad Hassan Akhtari, Iran’s deputy for international affairs.

“We can send forces to Lebanon to fight Israel, just like we did in 1981.”

The Israeli military issued a statement saying it had eliminated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in yesterday’s attack on the Iran-backed militant group’s headquarters in Beirut.

“The IDF announces that yesterday (Friday, September 27, 2024), Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the terrorist organization Hezbollah and one of its founders, was eliminated by the IDF,” the statement said.

In a message on X, the Israeli army declared that “Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world.”

Hezbollah has not commented on Israel’s claims and yesterday denied that Nasrallah had been killed.

The Syrian Ministry of Health this morning sent a convoy of 20 tonnes of medical aid to Lebanon, transported via the Jdeidet Yabous border post.

He said the shipment included essential items intended for emergency response needs.

IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee this morning warned residents of Dahia in Beirut to leave areas close to “Hezbollah interests.”

In a post on X, Adraee referenced a map of the suburb, warning people to stay away from certain buildings.

“You are located near Hezbollah interests and for your safety and that of your loved ones, you are obliged to evacuate the buildings immediately and move away from them at a distance of at least 500 meters,” he said. declared.

Hospitals in the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Lebanese capital, are being evacuated as conflict in the city escalates.

The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health issued a statement calling on hospitals not affected by the Israeli strikes to “stop receiving non-urgent cold cases” until the end of next week, in order to free up capacity for patients. patients from hospitals evacuated.

The Israel Defense Forces said projectiles were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory this morning, some of which were intercepted.

A surface-to-surface missile fired from Lebanese territory also landed in an open area in central Israel this morning, the Israeli military said, with details of the incident under review.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he hoped diplomacy could prevail and would continue to push for it, while adding that Israel has the right to defend itself.

“It matters how it’s done,” Blinken said. “The choices all parties make in the coming days will determine the path this region takes, with profound consequences for its people today and perhaps for years to come. »

Blinken went on to say that diplomacy is the preferred path for the US government.

“The path to diplomacy may seem difficult to see right now, but it is there and it is necessary. We will continue to work intensively with all parties to encourage them to choose this path.

Blinken said the violence would only lead to more bloodshed and instability in the region, causing “repercussions that will be felt around the world.”

America, Blinken said, will not hesitate to defend itself against attacks on its interests.

“Anyone who takes advantage of this moment to target American personnel, American interests in the region, the United States will take every measure to defend our people,” he said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called the Israeli attack on Hezbollah in Beirut an “undeniable and blatant war crime.”

The Israeli strike against Hezbollah amounts to “state terrorism” and a sign that Israel poses “the greatest threat to regional and international peace and security,” Pezeshkian said in a statement.

“I express my condolences to the nation and government of Lebanon and express my sympathy to the families of the proud martyrs of this incident,” Pezeshkian said. “I share your grief, dear and honorable people of the Lebanese resistance. »

Iran will continue its crimes against Israel and stand with Lebanon, Pezeshkian said.