Sentinel Digital Desk
Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, was killed by Israeli forces in an airstrike, as confirmed by the Israel Defense Forces on Saturday. This came after strikes on Hezbollah's headquarters.
Media reports earlier suggested that Nasrallah was the target of Israeli strikes conducted on Friday in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon.
Who Was Hassan Nasrallah?
Nasrallah led Hezbollah for over three decades, transforming it into one of the most powerful militant groups in the Middle East. He was born in 1960 into a struggling Shiite family and later became one of the founders of Hezbollah.
In 1985, Hezbollah formally emerged, declaring the US and the Soviet Union as enemies of Islam and calling for the destruction of Israel. The group accused Israel of occupying Muslim lands.
In 1997, the US designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, five years after Nasrallah became the group's secretary-general.
Nasrallah reshaped Hezbollah into Israel's archenemy. Under his leadership, Hezbollah was instrumental in Israel's 2000 withdrawal from southern Lebanon, ending an 18-year occupation.
In 2006, Hezbollah fought Israel in a 34-day conflict. Although it ended in a stalemate, Nasrallah declared it a "divine victory," further solidifying his leadership.