"Hassan Nasrallah can no longer terrorize the world," Israel claims Hezbollah leader killed

BEIRUT: The Israeli military has claimed to have killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah as it continues its offensive in the southern suburbs of Beirut. "Hassan Nasrallah can no longer terrorize the world," the Israeli military said on social media platform X. Army spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani also announced through X that Hasan Nasrallah was killed. Army spokesman Captain David Avraham confirmed to AFP that the Hezbollah chief had been killed following Friday's attacks in the Lebanese capital.

Sources close to Lebanon's Hezbollah group said contact with Nasrallah had been lost since yesterday evening. But the Hezbollah group has not confirmed that Nasrallah was killed. Nasrallah has been the head of Hezbollah for the past three decades.

At the same time, Hezbollah had earlier stated that Nasrallah had not been killed. The organization's media relations officer, Hajj Mohammad Afif, told Iranian media that he was not at the site targeted by Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the UN was followed by an airstrike in Beirut yesterday. This is the fourth attack by Israel in southern Beirut targeting Hezbollah commanders.

Israel's military has deployed more tanks and armored vehicles to Lebanon's northern border, warning of a ground war. The move comes after the Israeli army was instructed to enter Lebanon by land. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reportedly instructed the army to be ready for war.