Massive Israeli air raid last night on the southern suburbs of Beirut, in Lebanon, where is the headquarters di Hezbollah. Killed the leader Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollah sources, cited by New York Times, claim to have recovered the body of the founder and secretary general of the Lebanese Shiite movement. Initially, Hezbollah sources wanted to let it be known that Nasrallah had escaped the attack and was therefore fine. Some reports have indicated among the dead the daughter Zainab.
Not only that: right after, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard confirmed the killing of the deputy commander of the Pasdaran Qods Force in Lebanon, Abbas Nilforoushan, in Beirut. Pan-Arab TV writes al Arabiya.
Beirut, Hezbollah confirms Nasrallah's death
After several hours of mystery surrounding Nasrallah's fate, Hezbollah Confirms Killing of Its LeaderAll the main Arabic-language media reported this, citing a statement issued by the Lebanese organization supported by Iran.
In a statement read live on TV al-Manar, which immediately suspended the live broadcast from the site of the raid on the southern outskirts of Beirut to broadcast Islamic prayers, Hezbollah announced that “the leader of the resistance” Hassan Nasrallah “has moved to the side of his Lord as a great martyr.”
“He joined the caravan of the martyrs of Karbala” and “his companions, the immortal martyrs whose march he led for 30 years, leading them from victory to victory,” the organization added, recalling that Nasrallah took over the leadership of the movement in 1992 and led him to the “liberation of Lebanon in 2000” and then to the “victory of 2006” in the 33-day war.
Beirut, media: IDF has taken control of the airport
A flight of Iranian company Qeshm Fars Air coming from Tehran, headed for Lebanon or Syria, turned back into Iraqi airspace in the early hours of this morning after it crashed last night Israel has taken control of Beirut airport control tower. Israeli media reported. The IDF warned that it would thwart any attempt by Iran to transfer weapons to Hezbollah, including through Beirut's civilian airport. Transport Minister Ali Hamiya, according to Lebanese media, ordered the Iranian plane not to land at Beirut's airport and not to enter its airspace.
Beirut, Iran ready to send troops to Lebanon
A representative of the Islamic Republic ofIran, the Ayatollah Mohammad Hassan Akhtari, announced that in the next few days Tehran will begin operations for thesending troops to Lebanon and the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. “We can send troops to Lebanon to fight against Israel, just like we did in 1981,” he told the broadcaster nbc Akhtari, head of the Committee for Iran's Support for the Palestinian People, affiliated with the Iranian presidency's office.
Beirut, extraordinary Council of Ministers
The outgoing Lebanese government chaired by Najib Miqati will meet this evening at 19.30pm local time (18.30pm in Italy) in a extraordinary meeting to assess the situation in the country following the latest developments, according to Prime Minister Najib Miqati's office in Beirut.
Beirut, Israel Bombs: What's Happening
According to Lebanese media, six buildings were reportedly razed to the ground in the raid and they fear each other numerous deaths. Israeli raids on Beirut continued during the night, which also hit, Hezbollah weapons production facilities. Killed the commander of the missile unit of the group, Muhammad Ali Ismail. Meanwhile, at the general assembly UN, the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu attacks Tehran: “Israel has been forced to defend itself on six fronts supported by Iran. If you attack us, we will hit you”. The Israeli Prime Minister also assured that the Jewish state will continue its attacks in Lebanon “until we achieve our goals. We will continue to weaken Hezbollah”. Finally, the harsh attack on the United Nations, calling it a “anti-semitic swamp” and an “anti-Israel flat-earth society.”
Beirut, Israel Bombs: What Hezbollah Says
The Israeli army has issued another evacuation order for residents of the Al-Barajneh and Al-Hadath neighborhoods in Beirut, urging them to leave specific locations marked on maps in southern Dahiyeh. “You are present near Hezbollah facilities and for the safety of yourself and your loved ones, you are obliged to immediately evacuate the buildings and move away from them for a distance of no less than 500 meters,” said Arabic-language Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee. These buildings include structures located near a school in the Al-Barajneh neighborhood, a densely populated Palestinian refugee camp that also houses Syrian refugees and migrant workers. Adraee also ordered residents to evacuate buildings across the street from and near another Al-Hadath school.
Following the invitation, hundreds of families have fled in a hurry from the area. In the middle of the night, traffic jams formed in the streets of the capital, usually deserted at that hour and plunged into darkness due to the lack of electricity.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least Six people were killed and 91 injured in the raid. According to a source close to Hezbollah, six buildings were completely destroyed, and thick columns of smoke rose from the huge explosions. The Israeli army also announced that it had killed in another raid the commander of one of the movement's missile units, Mohammed Ali Ismail, and his deputy Hossein Ahmed Ismail. Israeli planes are flying over the area around the capital's airport to prevent Iran from landing weapons shipments destined for Hezbollah there.
Beirut hospitals evacuated
The Lebanese Ministry of Health has announced a Plan to evacuate hospitals in southern Beirut after the Israeli air strikes last night, the most intense since 2006 Lebanon WarThe Turkish agency writes this Anadolu. In a statement, the ministry also urged hospitals in Beirut, Mount Lebanon and other unaffected areas to suspend treatment of non-urgent cases until the end of the week to accommodate patients from the affected southern suburbs.
Update at 15.05
