(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Beirut- Lebanon's Hezbollah movement Saturday confirmed that its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has been assassinated by Israel on Friday, a development that is likely to escalate an already spiraling conflict in the Middle East.
ADVERTISEMENT
The group said in a statement it would continue its battle against Israel“in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defence of Lebanon and its steadfast and honourable people”.
“Hezbollah announces the martyrdom of Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah. His Eminence passed away as a great martyr and brave hero,” groups satellite channel Al Manar TV ran the urgent news by breaking the regular programmes with the verses of Quran.
Israel claimed early Saturday that a strike on Hezbollah's headquarters killed Sayyid Nasrallah, who has led the group since 1992.
Experts across the region believe the assassination of Sayyid Nasrallah tantamount to an earthquake for the region.
“Nasrallah was the beating heart of Hezbollah.” Professor Fawaz Gerges, Chair of Contemporary Middle Eastern Studies at London School of Economics said, adding his assassination marks
the start of an“all out war”.
Sayyid Nasrallah was a founding member of the group formed in 1982, and he helped form the group into a formidable force it is today, including with the establishment of political, social and military clout across Lebanon and beyond.
Meanwhile in his first reaction Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei said“the Zionist criminals should know that they are too small to cause significant damage to the strong construction of Hezbollah in Lebanon”.
In a statement on Saturday he said resistance forces are the ones to decide the fate of the region despite the criminal Israeli massacres.
He urged Muslims to“stand by the people of Lebanon and the proud Hezbollah with whatever means they have and assist them in confronting the... wicked regime [of Israel].”
Sayyed Ali Khamenei declared,“The fate of this region will be determined by the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront.”
The Iran's Supreme Leader stated that the massacre of innocent people in Lebanon has revealed both the brutal nature of the“aggressive Zionist regime and the shortsightedness of its leaders.”
He emphasized that“the terrorist group governing the Zionist entity” has failed to learn from their year-long violent campaign in Gaza and does not understand that the mass killings of women, children, and civilians will not undermine or dismantle the strong foundation of the Resistance.
MENAFN28092024000215011059ID1108725228
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.