Home World Live International Crisis Aide claims Hezbollah chief Nasrallah was killed in last year’s war operations room.

Aide claims Hezbollah chief Nasrallah was killed in last year’s war operations room.

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Aide claims Hezbollah chief Nasrallah was killed in last year’s war operations room.

BEIRUT — In an alarming development revealed by a senior official of Hezbollah, it has been disclosed that Hassan Nasrallah, the long-time leader of the militant group, was killed in an Israeli airstrike last year while situated in the organization’s war operations center.

On September 27, 2024, a series of precision airstrikes by Israeli forces decimated multiple structures in the southern suburbs of Beirut, resulting in Nasrallah’s death. The Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed that the airstrikes resulted in the loss of six lives. Reports indicated that Nasrallah was convening an underground meeting with other high-ranking officials at the time of the strike.

The death of Nasrallah, who had been at the helm of Hezbollah for over three decades, escalated ongoing tensions between Israel and the militant group into a full-scale conflict. This renewed violence severely impacted numerous regions in southern and eastern Lebanon for two months, culminating in a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that was put in place on November 27.

Wafiq Safa, a prominent security official within Hezbollah, held a press conference near the site of Nasrallah’s demise, stating that the leader was actively directing military operations from that location when the airstrike occurred. However, he refrained from disclosing further particulars regarding the incident.

Prior to the ceasefire, Lebanese media outlets reported that Safa himself had been a target of Israeli airstrikes in central Beirut but managed to remain unharmed.

Under the initial terms of the ceasefire, Hezbollah is expected to reposition its fighters, weaponry, and operational infrastructure north of the Litani River. In tandem, Israeli ground forces that had incursioned into southern Lebanon are mandated to withdraw within a 60-day timeframe. Alongside United Nations peacekeepers, Lebanese army personnel will assume the role of the exclusive armed force in the southern region.

Hezbollah and the Lebanese government have expressed serious concerns regarding the continuing Israeli airstrikes and aerial reconnaissance missions across Lebanon, noting that Israel has only retreated from a couple of the many villages it occupies. The Israeli government maintains that the Lebanese military has not adequately addressed the issue of dismantling Hezbollah’s operational frameworks.

In a recent televised address, Naim Kassem, the current Hezbollah leader, cautioned that the organization’s fighters may take action against Israel unless it completes its withdrawal from southern Lebanon by the month’s end.

Echoing this sentiment, Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, reiterated that if Hezbollah fighters do not withdraw north of the Litani River and their infrastructure remains intact, Israel will have no choice but to act independently to ensure the safety of its northern residents. “If this condition is not met, there will be no agreement,” he stated.

Safa also noted that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who played a key role in negotiating the ceasefire with U.S. officials, informed Hezbollah that there would be a forthcoming meeting with U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein. “And depending on the developments, there will be a position,” Safa added.

Hochstein had been pivotal in facilitating the delicate negotiations that led to the temporary truce, highlighting the complexities surrounding the ongoing conflict.