Israel announced that its forces had killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, in an attack on a southern suburb of Beirut. Nasrallah, who has led the Iran-backed group for 30 years, was targeted by Israeli forces. Hezbollah had not confirmed his death at the time, but Israeli officials claimed he had been killed. Nasrallah, who was born in Beirut in 1960 and studied theology, became the leader of Hezbollah in 1992 after the death of his predecessor. Under his leadership, Hezbollah became a powerful paramilitary group with an arsenal of missiles trained on Israel. Nasrallah called for the “liberation” of Jerusalem and supported attacks against Israel. Israel’s attack on Nasrallah came after launching airstrikes on Hezbollah’s central headquarters in Lebanon.
The airstrike caused at least six deaths and 91 injuries, with extensive damage in the area. Both Lebanese and Israeli leaders returned from the U.N. General Assembly following the attack. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu defended Israel’s actions as self-defense against Iran and warned of possible retaliatory attacks from Hezbollah. Washington has called for a cease-fire proposal to prevent further escalation in the region. Experts believe that the Biden administration will try to restrain Israel, but addressing the military capabilities of Hamas and Hezbollah is necessary to prevent further conflict. The escalating tensions in the Middle East raise concerns about the possibility of a full-scale war.
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