A source close to the movement informed AFP on Sunday that the body of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli air attack in southern Beirut, had been retrieved.
Ali Karake, the group’s top commander in southern Lebanon, was also killed in Friday’s jet strike, Hezbollah announced on Sunday.
It has not identified the individuals who died alongside Nasrallah and Karake. According to medical and security sources, Nasrallah’s body was discovered intact at the scene of an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military confirmed on Sunday that it had also killed Nabil Kaouk after an exchange of fire between the two sides. Kaouk had been a Hezbollah member since the 1980s, having previously served as the southern region’s deputy director general.
“His body was recovered on Saturday and placed in a shroud on Sunday after being washed,” claimed the source, who asked to remain anonymous. “The funeral ceremony and burial have not yet been scheduled,” the person stated. Nasrallah was widely regarded as Lebanon’s most influential figure prior to his murder on Friday, when Israeli jets hit Hezbollah’s heartland in the south of the capital.
For more than 30 years, he led the Iran-backed movement that was Israel’s worst adversary. The Israeli military stated on Sunday that “more than 20 other terrorists of varying ranks” were also killed in the attack.
Hezbollah has not commented on Kaouk’s situation, but supporters have been sending condolence messages for him since yesterday.
“The IDF continues to attack and eliminate the commanders of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation and to act against anyone who threatens the citizens of the State of Israel,” the army declared.
It stated that Kaouk had been a member of Hezbollah since the 1980s, formerly acting as deputy director general of the southern area.
In its most recent strikes on Lebanon, Israel’s army hits approximately 120 Hezbollah sites.
As frequent cross-border air attacks resumed, the Israeli military announced Sunday evening that it hit dozens more Hezbollah targets in Lebanon during a new onslaught “a short while ago”.
“During the intelligence-based strikes, the (air force) struck approximately 120 Hezbollah terror targets in southern Lebanon and deep inside Lebanese territory,” a military statement said, adding that the targets included Hezbollah’s infrastructure and “significant headquarters used by Hezbollah’s different units.”
Bottom Line
The reported death of key Hezbollah leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah and Ali Karake, in Israeli airstrikes, marks a significant escalation in the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
While these reports are highly consequential, especially given Nasrallah’s long-standing leadership in Hezbollah, the full implications depend on further confirmation and the broader response from Hezbollah and its allies.
Hassan Nasrallah, if truly killed in this strike, represents the loss of an influential figure within Lebanon and the Middle East.
Nasrallah has been a key leader in the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement for decades, orchestrating numerous conflicts against Israel and maintaining Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanese politics.
His death could have profound consequences for Hezbollah, potentially leading to a power vacuum, internal leadership struggles, or an even fiercer retaliation against Israel.
However, since Hezbollah has not confirmed the death yet, it’s unclear how the movement will proceed.
