TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel said Saturday it has killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, dealing the Lebanese militant group its biggest blow after months of fighting. There was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah.
If this claim is true, Nasrallah is by far the most powerful target killed by Israel in the weeks of intense fighting with Hezbollah. Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollah's Southern Front, and other Hezbollah commanders were also killed in the attack, the Israeli military said. The army said it carried out a precision airstrike on Friday as the Hezbollah leadership met at their headquarters in Dahiyeh, south of Beirut.
Israel's chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said on Saturday that eliminating Nasrallah was “not the end of our toolbox,” indicating more attacks were planned. He said the attack on Hezbollah's leadership was the result of a long preparation period.
Lebanon's health ministry said six people were killed and 91 injured in Friday's strikes, which razed six apartment buildings.
The Israeli army said it is mobilizing additional reserve soldiers as tensions with Lebanon escalate, activating three battalions of reserve soldiers to serve across the country. The call comes after two brigades were sent to northern Israel earlier this week to train for a possible ground invasion.
On Saturday morning, the Israeli army carried out several attacks in southern Beirut and the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon. Hezbollah launched dozens of projectiles in northern and central Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Smoke rose and streets were empty in Beirut's southern suburbs after heavy Israeli airstrikes hit the area overnight. Shelters for displaced people in the city center were overcrowded. Many families slept in public squares and beaches or in their cars. On the roads leading to the mountains above the capital, hundreds of people could be seen making an exodus on foot, carrying babies and whatever belongings they could carry.
At least 720 people have been killed by Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon over the past week, according to the Health Ministry.
___
Mroue reported from Beirut.
