Hassan Nasrallah, the long-serving leader of Hezbollah, was killed in a large-scale Israeli airstrike on Beirut on Friday evening, as confirmed by the Lebanon-based group.
The Israeli military had earlier claimed responsibility for the assassination.
Nasrallah, who rose to fame following the 2006 war with Israel, was widely regarded as a hero in Lebanon and beyond, known for his defiance of Israel. However, his leadership took a controversial turn when Hezbollah sent fighters to Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad in suppressing the uprising against his regime.
Nasrallah’s decision to support Assad diminished his standing in the Arab world, especially among Sunni Muslims, who were already skeptical of Hezbollah’s alleged role in the 2005 assassination of Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Though an international tribunal indicted members of Hezbollah for the murder, Nasrallah retained the support of Lebanon’s Shia Muslim community, who saw him as both a political and religious figure.
Born in 1960, Nasrallah's early life in East Beirut was marked by a deep religious devotion. His interest in Shia theology eventually led him to join the Amal movement during Lebanon’s civil war, before breaking away in 1982 to form Hezbollah with the backing of Iran.
He became the group’s leader in 1992, after the assassination of his predecessor Abbas al-Musawi by Israel. Nasrallah was known for his charismatic speeches, often using informal language to connect with his audience. His public persona was deeply tied to the image of Hezbollah, which grew under his leadership into a major political and military force in Lebanon.
Nasrallah’s tenure as Hezbollah’s leader saw the group evolve from a militia into a powerful political entity. His leadership style, marked by emotional speeches that combined political rhetoric with religious imagery, solidified his position as the symbolic figurehead of Hezbollah. He successfully steered the group through Lebanon’s post-war political landscape, guiding Hezbollah into the national political arena for the first time in 1992.
Despite Nasrallah’s popularity among Hezbollah’s supporters, he faced growing opposition, both domestically and internationally, due to the group’s military actions and its ties to Iran. Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm remained a contentious issue, with Nasrallah maintaining that doing so would leave Lebanon vulnerable to Israel.
In 2023, Hezbollah faced significant challenges when it opened a front against Israel to support Hamas during the conflict in Gaza. The group suffered heavy losses but continued to engage in cross-border fighting. Nasrallah remained defiant until his death.
While Nasrallah’s assassination marks the end of an era for Hezbollah, the organization he built is likely to endure. His successor will face the challenge of determining the future direction of the group, with repercussions that will extend beyond Lebanon and influence the region as a whole.
Source: Al Jazeera