The killing of Hassan Nasrallah
Agencies – Beirut:
After Hezbollah announced the killing of its Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, in the Israeli bombing that targeted the party’s headquarters in Haret Hreik in the southern suburb of Beirut, the Israeli army announced yesterday, Saturday, that it had liquidated Hezbollah’s military leadership, in an unjust strike. This is unprecedented for the Iranian-backed Lebanese group.
Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee posted on his account on the “X” platform a picture containing the military chain of command of “Hezbollah” after the assassination of the party’s Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah. After silence for long hours, “Hezbollah” mourned Nasrallah in a statement in the afternoon. Yesterday, Saturday, after Israel announced the success of the assassination operation. The statement did not mention the names of the others who were killed with Nasrallah in the raid, which left at least 6 people dead, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, and led to the collapse of 7 buildings.
According to the statement, the party pledged to “continue jihad in the face of the enemy, in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defense of Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people.”
American position
US President Joe Biden said yesterday: The killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli air strike is a measure of justice for many of his victims, including thousands of American, Israeli and Lebanese civilians.
Biden stressed that America fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other terrorist groups supported by Iran.
The American President said: He directed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to strengthen the position of American forces in the Middle East to deter any aggression and reduce the risks of turning into a comprehensive war in the region, and stressed that the goal of the United States is to reduce the escalation in the current conflicts, whether in Gaza or Lebanon, through diplomatic means.
Harris
For her part, US Vice President Kamala Harris said: Hassan Nasrallah is a terrorist with American blood on his hands. She added: Today the victims of Hezbollah received a measure of justice, stressing her support for Israel’s right to defend itself.
Harris noted in a statement that Hassan Nasrallah’s leadership of Hezbollah over decades led to the destabilization of the Middle East and the killing of countless innocent people in Lebanon, Israel, Syria, and around the world, and today Hezbollah’s victims enjoy a measure of justice.
Harris continued: “I have a firm commitment to Israel’s security, and I will always support its right to defend itself against Iran and Iranian-backed terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.
She added: President Biden and I do not want the conflict in the Middle East to escalate into a broader regional war. We have worked to find a diplomatic solution along the Israeli-Lebanese border so that people can safely return to their homes on both sides of the border, and diplomacy remains the best path forward to protect civilians and achieve peace. Permanent stability in the region.
Pentagon
For his part, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin affirmed his full support for Israel’s right to self-defense against Iranian-backed terrorist groups.
The Pentagon said that Austin spoke twice yesterday, Friday, with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant regarding the events in Lebanon, explaining that he stressed that Washington is ready to protect its forces and facilities in the region and is committed to defending Israel.
The American position was issued hours after Hezbollah confirmed the killing of its Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, in the air strike carried out by Israel, the day before Friday, on the party’s central command headquarters in the southern suburb of Beirut.
My timer
For his part, the head of the caretaker government in Lebanon, Najib Mikati, announced during an emergency government meeting yesterday, Saturday, that the danger threatens his country, and demanded a ceasefire and the implementation of Resolution No. 1701, stressing that solidarity is the strongest response to the Israeli aggression.
Netanyahu
After the announcement of Nasrallah’s assassination, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel’s mission has not yet been accomplished and the coming days will bring more. Netanyahu indicated in his first comment during a television speech that the liquidation of Nasrallah is a necessary condition for changing the balance of power in the region, and he said: “We closed an account that was… Open with Nasrallah,” and described him as “the great saboteur.” Netanyahu added: “We are now facing what appears to be a historic turning point, and eliminating Nasrallah was an important step to achieve the goal we set, which is to return the residents of the north safely to their homes.
He went on to say: “There is no place in Iran or the Middle East that our long arm will not reach… and Nasrallah said: We are spider webs… but we have proven that we are steel strings.”
Israeli army
The Israeli army announced that it had struck more than 140 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon since last Friday, including launch pads targeting Israeli civilians, buildings for storing strategic weapons, weapons production facilities, and terrorist infrastructure sites, some of which are located under residential buildings in Beirut.
Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy vowed to reach everyone who threatens Israel, and stressed that Tel Aviv has not exhausted all the means at its disposal. He continued: “The message is simple: whoever threatens the citizens of Israel, we will know how to reach him.”
An Israeli army spokesman revealed that Nasrallah was in Hezbollah’s underground headquarters, and that the party had a plan to infiltrate Israeli communities and kill and kidnap Israeli citizens. He said that Lebanon had become an armed base under Nasrallah’s leadership.
More than 80 bombs
Israeli media reported that the Israeli army assassinated Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah by bombing him with more than 80 bombs, each of which weighed about a ton.
Israeli Army Radio explained that “aircraft from the 69th Squadron dropped about 85 bunker-busting bombs, each weighing a ton, in the operation to assassinate Nasrallah.”
In the same context, Iranian sources confirmed the killing of Brigadier General Abbas Ni, commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guard in Lebanon, hours after the killing of Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah in a raid on the party’s leadership headquarters in the southern suburb of Beirut last Friday evening.
