THE fate of Hezbollah’s leader is still unknown after Israel launched a missile barrage targeting Hassan Nasrallah on Friday.
Israel announced their deadly strikes had ripped through the 64-year-old terror chief’s underground command post in Beirut but neither side has confirmed his death or survival yet.
APMystery surrounds Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah after he was targeted in an Israeli airstrike on Friday[/caption]
ReutersGiant clouds of smoke and flames seen rising from Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh last night[/caption]
AFPCivilians left searching the rubble hours after the blitz[/caption]
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) declined to comment on if their fighter jet blitz had successfully eliminated Nasrallah.
But they did claim to have killed several Hezbollah officials including Muhammad Ali Ismail, the commander of Hezbollah’s missile unit in southern Lebanon.
His deputy and “other senior officials” were also taken out.
Some reports claim Nasrallah is still alive, with sources saying he was inside an underground bunker at the time of the strike.
No official statement has been released by Hezbollah about the bearded firebrand leader yet – leading many to speculate on his health.
Nasrallah is often tasked with addressing his terrorist fighters after serious Israeli attacks on TV.
Sources believe if he is still alive then an appearance to his followers will be imminent to squash fears of the terror regime losing its leader.
If Nasrallah is dead then it will mark a pivotal night for Israel with the chief being the biggest name on their kill list so far.
Nasrallah led Iran-backed Hezbollah during the last war with Israel in 2006 and has been a thorn in his enemies side ever since.
He oversaw a massive Iran-backed programme of rebuilding the group’s military machine to become the most heavily armed terror group on Earth.
Just days ago he pledged to carry on fighting Israel armed with a terrifying arsenal of 150,000 missiles and drones.
IDF military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said on Friday that a “precise strike” hit Hezbollah’s “central headquarters” located underneath residential buildings in Dahiyeh.
Images of the Lebanese suburb shows a series of huge explosions with large mushroom clouds erupting into the sky last night.
A source close to Hezbollah said the wave of strikes took out six buildings – including apartment blocks.
Thousands were forced to flee their homes as the rockets closed in.
Six people were killed along with another 91 wounded, according to preliminary data from Lebanon’s health ministry.
A second round of Israeli strikes hit the same area of Beirut later in the night.
Pictures show smoking buildings early this morning following the successive blitzes.
Hezbollah has already retaliated after they fired rockets on the Israeli city of Safed – but there are no reports of casualties.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, is set to hold an emergency meeting of the Supreme National Security Council to respond to the Israeli attacks.
Narallah’s backers in Iran‘s embassy in Beirut said the latest massive strike on the Lebanese capital was a “dangerous, game-changing escalation”.
The embassy added the strike was a “war crime” which merits “appropriate punishment”.
The strike comes after days of Israeli bombardment inside Lebanon as it seems poised to invade the country.
Israel has wiped out a number of top Hezbollah commanders in airstrikes, but Nasrallah remained outside of Israel’s grasp.
Over the past 11 months, Israel has eliminated nearly all of the terror group’s leadership.
Last Friday was one of the most successful days of Israel’s ploy to take out the terror group with them hitting two kingpins and 14 commanders in strikes.
Destruction of Hezbollah’s HQ comes a day after a ceasefire plan appeared to fall through.
Western nations called for a 21-day ceasefire to end the 11-month conflict between Israel and the terror group to its north.
A statement said: “The situation between Lebanon and Israel since October 8th, 2023 is intolerable and presents an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation.
“This is in nobody’s interest, neither of the people of Israel nor of the people of Lebanon.
“It is time to conclude a diplomatic settlement that enables civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes in safety.
“Diplomacy however cannot succeed amid an escalation of this conflict.”
The ceasefire plan also called for a end to fighting between Israel and Hamas.
But Israel on Thursday rejected the ceasefire plan.
APSeveral explosions ripped through Beirut in two successive airstrikes[/caption]
AFPAn apartment block was left up in smoke on Friday[/caption]
APFamilies were forced out of their homes after being displaced by the airstrikes[/caption]