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Everything about The Death of Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah

2024-09-29 , 2:52 pm

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah died in an air strike on Hezbollah’s central headquarters in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

Huh? Who is this? Why should I care about his death?

If you’re confused about what happened, who Hassan Nasrallah is, and why his death matters, fret not — Goody Feed is here to tell you all about it. Here’s what you need to know.

Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah Dies in Air Strike on Beirut

On Saturday (28 September), Israel launched an air strike on Hezbollah’s central headquarters in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, taking the life of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

If you didn’t already know, Hezbollah is an Iran-backed militant group based in Lebanon. While Lebanon has its own Lebanese government, Hezbollah also operates a little like a government in the Lebanese areas under its control.

Clashes between Hezbollah and Israel have been going on for the longest time, but more attention has been drawn to the group recently after numerous waves of attacks were traded between Israel and Hezbollah.

And all of that has now culminated in the killing of the Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

The Israeli military also claims to have killed Ali Karaki, the commander of Hezbollah’s southern front, as well as an unspecified number of other Hezbollah commanders.

Who is Hassan Nasrallah?

If Hassan Nasrallah was not the only one from Hezbollah killed in the airstrike, why is it that global attention is cast on his death in particular?

You might be thinking: “Because he’s the chief of Hezbollah lah. Abuden.” You’re right, but there’s more. The 64-year-old wasn’t just any leader — he led Hezbollah for a whopping 32 years after becoming the group’s leader at the age of 32 and played a key role in turning Hezbollah into the force it is today.

You see, Hezbollah wasn’t always this influential of a group.

The militant group emerged during the Lebanese civil war in the 1970s to fight Israeli troops in Lebanon. Under Nasrallah’s leadership, the group found itself solidifying a much stronger footing in Lebanon. It has a military force stronger than the Lebanese army and is a powerbroker in Lebanese politics.

In other words, Nasrallah played a key role in levelling Hezbollah up lah.

Why did Israel Kill Hassan Nasrallah?

Now that we know who Hassan Nasrallah is, we have a better idea of why Israel killed the Hezbollah chief.

“During Hassan Nasrallah’s 32-year reign as the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, he was responsible for the murder of many Israeli civilians and soldiers, and the planning and execution of thousands of terrorist activities,” the Israeli military said.

Let’s take Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel, which you’ve probably heard of, as an example. A day after the October 7 attacks, Hezbollah joined in and fired at Israeli positions in solidarity with the Palestinians.

Thousands of rockets were launched by Hezbollah at Israel. The militant group fired anti-tank missiles at armoured vehicles and attacked military targets with explosive drones.

It doesn’t take a genius to know what’s next lah — there’s an attack, people get hurt, and others lose their lives.

The Israeli military also shared that Nasrallah, as the central decision-maker and the strategic leader of Hezbollah, was responsible for directing and executing terrorist attacks not just in Israel, but around the world as well.

“Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world,” the Israeli military added.

What Have Other Nations Said About Hassan Nasrallah’s Death?

So, what do other nations around the world think about Israel’s actions?

What we can say is this — it’s a little complicated lah. While some have welcomed Israel’s actions, several other nations have condemned it.

For one, US President Joe Biden shared in a statement that Nasrallah’s death was “a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese civilians”. This sentiment was echoed by Vice President Kamala Harris, who added that Nasrallah was “a terrorist with American blood on his hands”.

Other nations, however, have not been as welcoming of Israel’s actions.

For instance, Russia’s foreign ministry has expressed its condemnation of the Israeli airstrike on Beirut, characterising the killing of Hassan Nasrallah as a “political murder carried out by Israel”. The ministry also added that Israel would “bear full responsibility” for the consequences that the killing could bring to the region.

Iran, which finances and arms Hezbollah, also has its two cents on the Hezbollah chief’s death — the First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref warned Israel that Nasrallah’s death would bring about Israel’s destruction.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel also chimed in and said that the killing of Nasrallah was a “cowardly targeted assassination”.

The French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot demanded Israel to “immediately stop its strikes in Lebanon” and expressed its opposition to any ground operations in Lebanon. The French foreign ministry also emphasised that all actors in the region should “abstain from any action that could lead to additional destabilisation and regional conflagration”.

The British Foreign Secretary David Lammy added that an immediate ceasefire was needed and that a “diplomatic solution is the only way to restore security and stability for the Lebanese and Israeli people”.

What’s Next for Israel and Hezbollah?

It’s not every day that you see news of a militant group’s leader being killed. When you kill a militant group’s leader, you better go to sleep with one eye open — and that’s exactly what Israel will be doing.

According to an Israeli military spokesperson, Israel will now be on high alert for a broader conflict after Nasrallah’s death. Regardless, there are hopes that Nasrallah’s death will cause Hezbollah to change its course.

On Hezbollah’s end, the group has said that it would continue its battle against Israel “in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defence of Lebanon and its steadfast and honourable people”.

No one can predict the future lah, so we’ll just have to watch and see what happens next.