The Daily Populous Saturday September 28th, 2024 evening edition
Authored by jpost.com and submitted by itslalala

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was killed in the IDF's strike on Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut on Friday, the IDF announced Saturday morning.

Almost 32 years after co-founding the Lebanese terrorist organization, Nasrallah was killed, alongside Ali Karaki, Hezbollah's commander of the southern front, and other Hezbollah commanders.

Israel's air force struck Hezbollah's central headquarters using precise intelligence from the intelligence wing and defense system. The headquarters were based underground, under a residential building in the Lebanese capital.

The strike, which was carried out by IAF aircraft, targeted Hezbollah’s central headquarters in Dahieh, Beirut, as The Jerusalem Post reported on Friday.

"This is not the end of our toolbox," IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi said in a statement following the announcement of Nasrallah's death. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (left) with IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi (center), and Israel Air Force commander Tomer Bar (right) operating in the Israel Air Force command center with members of the IDF general staff during the IDF strike in Beirut Friday, September 28, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)

"Those who threaten the citizens of the State of Israel – we will know how to reach them – in the North, in the South, and even in more distant places," Halevi said.

"After a long period of preparing many capabilities for Lebanon, we have begun implementing them. This strike had also been prepared for a long time and executed at the right time, precisely," he continued.

"We are now moving forward with sharp preparation for the next steps. Ultimately, I emphasize again that we are maintaining maximum readiness across all of our sectors. All forces, including coordination with other organizations, must be well-coordinated and highly prepared," Halevi concluded.

Lebanon's Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday that its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was killed.

The group said in a statement it would continue its battle against Israel "in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defense of Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people." Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now

Israel said earlier on Saturday it had killed Nasrallah in an airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs a day earlier.

Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV started airing Koran verses after the announcement of Nasrallah's death.

Nasrallah and top commanders were coordinating attacks

The underground command center was embedded beneath a residential building, the IDF noted in its report on Saturday, where Nasrallah and his top commanders were coordinating terrorist activities against Israel at the time of the attack.

During Nasrallah's 32-year leadership of Hezbollah, he was responsible for planning and executing multiple terrorist operations, including attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers, as well as international attacks that killed other nationals worldwide.

Under his command, Hezbollah joined Hamas in its conflict with Israel on October 8, 2023, further escalating violence in the region.

Nasrallah's daughter Zainab was reportedly killed in the same Israeli airstrike targeting Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Friday.

Who were Hassan Nasrallah and Ali Karaki

Hassan Nasrallah began his political journey in 1976 at the age of 16 when he traveled to Iraq and joined the Shia Islamic movement, the Dawa Party. In 1982, he co-founded Hezbollah with Iranian support after leaving the Amal Movement, quickly securing a senior position and overseeing the Bekaa area by age 22.

By 1985, he was Deputy Chairman of the Beirut Council and became the military leader in the city. In 1987, he was appointed Head of the Operational Executive Council and became a member of Hezbollah's Supreme Council. Following the assassination of Abbas Musawi, Nasrallah assumed leadership of Hezbollah in 1992.

Over his 32-year tenure, he was responsible for orchestrating numerous terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers, making strategic decisions that solidified Hezbollah's role as a significant terrorist organization.

Ali Karki has commanded Hezbollah’s Southern Front since 2007, overseeing the group’s military activities in southern Lebanon. He was responsible for building extensive weapon stockpiles and deploying thousands of operatives along the Israeli border.

Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas War, Karki has directed rocket launches, anti-tank missile attacks, and UAV strikes, resulting in significant damage among Israeli civilians and soldiers, and causing extensive damage in northern Israel.

Karki’s strategy involved embedding Hezbollah within civilian areas, utilizing homes and the local population as human shields in their assaults on Israel. A founding member of Hezbollah's military operations in the 1980s, he has a history of orchestrating numerous terror attacks against Israelis.

His aggression against Israel include a 1997 terrorist attack, leadership during operations in southern Lebanon during Operation Defensive Shield in 2002, and commanding Hezbollah forces in the 2006 Lebanon War.

Thebananabender on September 28th, 2024 at 08:24 UTC »

In 2 weeks the entirety of the command chain is gone. This is wild…

itslalala on September 28th, 2024 at 08:06 UTC »

According to IDF Nasrallah and Ali Karaki, who survived an assassination attempt earlier this week, are dead along with other Hezbollah seniors

Ahad_Haam on September 28th, 2024 at 08:06 UTC »

Nasrallah led Hezbollah during the last 32 years. This is huge.

Edit: Hezbollah confirms he is dead.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hezbollah-confirms-leader-hassan-nasrallah-killed-in-israeli-strike/