Israel鈥檚 killing of Hassan Nasrallah was met with joy and rage across the Middle East, opposing reactions that expose the deep divisions in the region.
Hezbollah confirmed that its leader of 32 years by an Israeli airstrike, and offered condolences for others killed with him, after what the group called a 鈥渢reacherous Zionist raid on the southern suburb鈥� of Beirut.
It described Nasrallah as 鈥渁 great martyr, a heroic, bold, brave, wise, insightful, and faithful leader,鈥� and would remain, despite his death, 鈥渟till among us with his thought, spirit, line and sacred approach.鈥�
In Washington, President Biden in a said Nasrallah and Hezbollah 鈥渨ere responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror.鈥�
The president called Nasrallah鈥檚 death 鈥渁 measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians.鈥� He also reiterated full support for 鈥淚srael鈥檚 right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups.鈥�
The Israeli military said the Hezbollah leader was killed at his main headquarters underneath a residential building in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh. It said Hezbollah鈥檚 acting deputy, Ali Karki, and other Hezbollah commanders were among those killed as they were planning further attacks on Israel.
To highlight the attack鈥檚 potential to ignite an even wider Middle East conflict, the semiofficial Iranian news agency, Mehr, reported that an operational head of Iran鈥檚 Revolutionary Guard Corps, Brig. Gen. Abbas Nilforoushan, had also been killed in the strike. Iran has long financed and supported Hezbollah, while also supplying weapons and missile technology to the group.
Israelis celebrated the killing
The attack on Hezbollah鈥檚 headquarters took place just after Israeli Prime Minister . An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with protocol, said Netanyahu greenlit the strike before he delivered his address.
In his first public remarks on Friday鈥檚 attack, Netanyahu said the assassination of Nasrallah, who he described as 鈥渢he architect鈥� of a plan to 鈥渁nnihilate鈥� Israel, was an 鈥渆ssential condition鈥� for Israel to achieve its war goals.
The mood among Israelis was jubilant. One Tel Aviv apartment building blasted a song with the Hebrew lyrics: 鈥淥h Nasrallah, we鈥檒l take you down, God willing, and send you back to God along with all of Hezbollah.鈥� At a beach in southern Israel, a to beachgoers over a loudspeaker: 鈥淲ith happiness, joy and cheer, we announce officially that the rat Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated yesterday. The people of Israel live.鈥�
The Israeli military ordered limitations on public gatherings in central Israel in a sign that the country was preparing for possible retaliatory strikes by Hezbollah or other Iran-supported militias.
In the past few days, thousands of reservists have also been called up and deployed to the country鈥檚 border with Lebanon, as Hezbollah continues to trade rocket fire with Israeli ground forces using artillery and tanks.
Meanwhile, senior figures across the Israeli political spectrum and the country鈥檚 military leaders praised the assassination. 鈥淗e was an immediate threat to the lives of thousands of Israelis and other citizens,鈥� said the country鈥檚 defense minister, Yoav Gallant. 鈥淭his action closed a long-standing account with the arch-murderer Nasrallah, whose hands were covered with the blood of thousands of civilians and soldiers.鈥�
鈥淣asrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world,鈥� said Daniel Hagari, the spokesperson for the Israeli military. 鈥淛ustice has been served.鈥�
Iran announced days of mourning
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned what he called an Israeli massacre in Lebanon, and vowed that the fate of the Mideast will be determined by "the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront." Iran announced five days of mourning for Nasrallah.
Khamenei told Muslims to stand by the people of Lebanon and Hezbollah to confront Israel. Iran鈥檚 new president, , called Nasrallah鈥檚 killing a war crime.
Since Hezbollah began sending missiles into northern Israel on Oct. 8, a day after the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, the group has fired 9,300 rockets, killing 49 people and wounding 372, according to the Israeli prime minister鈥檚 office. The Lebanese health ministry separately announced Saturday that more than 1,000 people had been killed in Lebanon over just the past 10 days, including dozens of women and children. More than 6,000 had been wounded, it said.
Tens of thousands of Lebanese have fled the country鈥檚 southern and eastern regions that have borne repeated Israeli strikes in the past week. And many have also been pouring over the border to neighboring Syria, Syrian journalist Danny Makki told NPR, speaking from the capital Damascus.
鈥淪yrians are more concerned at the moment with getting them to safety, and helping them in the humanitarian sense,鈥� Makki said, while acknowledging the broader impact of the Hezbollah leader鈥檚 death. 鈥淣asrallah is a very huge individual in the region and has been part and parcel of the politics of the Middle East.鈥�
In Syria, where Hezbollah has backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country鈥檚 brutal civil war, people in Idlib province celebrated on the streets, Syrian journalist Fared Al Mahlool told NPR. 鈥淧eople are happy to hear it. 鈥� Too many people have been displaced, killed, and lost loved ones because of Nasrallah鈥檚 support to the Syrian regime. They took part in destroying several cities and displacing so many people,鈥� he said.
Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the two main militant groups in Gaza that have been labeled as terrorist organizations by the United States and several other nations, were defiant. Islamic Jihad said it was 鈥渇ully confident鈥� that Nasrallah鈥檚 death would 鈥渋ncrease the strength, steadfastness and determination of the resistance in Lebanon, Palestine and the region,鈥� while a statement released by Hamas said history showed the deaths of leaders such as Nasrallah meant they would be 鈥渟ucceeded on the same path by a generation of leaders who are more valiant, stronger and more determined.鈥� Hamas senior figure Khalil al-Hayya, speaking on Al Jazeera, said the souls of Nasrallah and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh 鈥� assassinated in July 鈥� 鈥渁re inside the birds of heaven.鈥�
In Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, there were massive demonstrations Saturday night, with people vowing to continue resistance.
Iraqi state television announced a three-day period of mourning to honor the martyrdom of Nasrullah. On the station鈥檚 official website, it said: 鈥淭his heinous crime will enhance the spirit of resistance in people's hearts and enhance the will of victory in facing the mean Zionist entity.鈥�
Some members of Iraq's parliament cried on television on the news of Nasrallah鈥檚 assassination. One lawmaker vowed that his death would 鈥渙pen the gates of fire against Zionists.鈥�
Russia's foreign ministry issued a statement condemning the killing of Nasrallah, saying it "is fraught with even greater dramatic consequences for Lebanon and the entire Middle East." Moscow called on Israel to stop hostilities aimed at Lebanon.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, in , said he had spoken with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Saturday. "We agreed on the need for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the bloodshed," Lammy said, adding that "a diplomatic solution is the only way to restore security and stability for the Lebanese and Israeli people."
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