Hezbollah has confirmed that Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of the movement, was killed in Israeli airstrikes.
Iranian media also reported, citing Hezbollah, that Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an airstrike yesterday (Friday) in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.
Earlier, the Israeli military claimed that Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had died in an airstrike carried out by fighter jets over Beirut.
Kamal Panahasi, a Persian-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli military, stated: "Air Force planes, guided by precise intelligence from the Intelligence Directorate and Mossad, targeted Hezbollah's central headquarters located in the basement of a residential building in the Dahiya neighborhood of Beirut."
Aziz Maharaj, a political analyst, spoke to TOLOnews about the consequences of the death of the Hezbollah Secretary-General, saying: "Eliminating the leader will have two possible outcomes; either the violence and war will intensify, or the situation may calm down but take on a different form."
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, reacting to the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, stated that the war in Lebanon could escalate further with the involvement of foreign powers. Guterres called on Israel and Hezbollah to agree to an immediate ceasefire.
The UN Secretary-General added: “Today, Israeli Defence Forces struck civilian buildings in Beirut, saying they had targeted Hezbollah’s main headquarters located underneath. War in Lebanon could lead to further escalation involving outside powers. I fully support the proposal for a temporary ceasefire – allowing for the delivery of humanitarian relief and paving the way for the resumption of serious negotiations for a durable peace across the Blue Line.”
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Russia also expressed their concerns about the escalating tensions and the risk of the situation turning into a real crisis in the Middle East. They called for the defense of international law and the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi indicated that the most significant and genuine threat in the region stems from the policies and actions of the Israeli government, compounded by the international community's failure to intervene. He emphasized the need to defend international law, protect the global system, and support the lives of Palestinians, whose circumstances have been severely diminished.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated: “There's a need to immediately end the spiraling violence before the situation completely spirals under out of control, which, as we see, some very much wish to see transpire to provoke a full blown war. We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, which will result in an end to further bloodshed, and will create conditions for a diplomatic and political resolution.”
Although some Iranian officials accuse the United States of being complicit in these attacks, the US Secretary of Defense has denied any involvement.
Lloyd Austin stated: “I know that you're seeing reports about a significant strike today in Beirut. I spoke by phone earlier today to my counterpart in Israel Minister Gallant. The United States was not involved in Israel's operation. We had no advance warning. My call with Minister Gallant took place while Israel's operation was already underway.”
In the meantime, some Israeli media have reported that in the attack on Hezbollah's command headquarters, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's daughter, Zeinab Nasrallah, and some Hezbollah officials were also killed.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees recently announced that over 30,000 people have entered Syria from Lebanon in the past 72 hours.
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