Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, was killed on Friday in an Israeli attack on a Beirut suburb, the Israeli army said on Saturday.
Hezbollah has so far not confirmed Nasrallah's death or commented on the Israeli claims.
“Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote in a post on social media platform X.
The Hezbollah commander in charge of southern Lebanon, Ali Karaki, was also killed, along with other high-ranking commanders, the report said.
The killing of 64-year-old Nasrallah, a cleric who led Hezbollah for 30 years and built the Lebanese militant group into a powerful force, would be one of the strongest blows Israel has ever dealt to Hezbollah.
It is difficult to predict how Hezbollah might respond, or what the consequences might be for the ongoing conflict with Israel and the surrounding region.
Fears that mutual attacks between Israel and Hezbollah could escalate into all-out war have increased since Israel launched a massive air campaign against Hezbollah targets across Lebanon on Monday, killing hundreds of people so far.
Hezbollah continued to attack Israel on Saturday, taking responsibility for several rocket attacks on the neighboring country, but did not comment on Israeli claims about Nasrallah's death.
A group of Israeli soldiers was attacked by artillery shells in northern Israel, the Iranian-backed Shiite militia said.
According to Hezbollah, a salvo of rockets was fired at the northern Israeli kibbutz of Sa'ar.
Further rockets were launched at the village of Rosh Pina in retaliation for “the brutal Israeli attacks” on Lebanon, the report said.
Meanwhile, Israel continued its attacks on Lebanon at night and during the day on Saturday, with reports of new airstrikes hitting Beirut's southern suburbs in the afternoon.
Israel said Friday's attack on a southern Beirut suburb was a targeted attack on Hezbollah headquarters believed to be located beneath residential buildings.
After the attack, thick clouds of smoke could be seen in the area of Haret Hreik near the airport, followed by large piles of rubble.
At least six people were killed and 91 injured in the attack, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. However, according to state media, the death toll is expected to rise further as several buildings have been completely destroyed.
According to military sources, the Israeli army says it is currently not aware of any civilian casualties as a result of the attack.
The assessment that Nasrallah was killed in the attack was based on a combination of intelligence information, they said.
According to the sources, the Israeli army had obtained information that Nasrallah and other Hezbollah commanders had gathered at the headquarters, among other indications.
Israel's military chief threatened other enemies of the country shortly after announcing Nasrallah's death.
“The message to anyone who threatens the citizens of the State of Israel is simple: we will know how to reach them. In the north, in the south and in places further afield,” said Israeli Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi.
He said Friday's attack, which reportedly killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, had been planned for a long time.
“It came at the right time and in a very sharp way,” Halevi said.
Nasrallah joined Hezbollah, which means 'the party of God', in 1982. After the Israeli assassination of his predecessor, Abbas al-Mussawi, in 1992, he became the group's leader.
He built the Shiite militia into a formidable fighting force and helped forge very close ties with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the group's main backer and supplier.
He oversaw the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon in 2000, which had been occupied since 1982, and also led Hezbollah through the 2006 Israeli invasion, which he described as a “divine victory” for his forces.
Hezbollah has also been hit hard by massive attacks from Israel in recent weeks. The country has been significantly weakened in terms of its leadership, its means of communication and probably its combative morale.
Pagers and radios used by Hezbollah fighters exploded earlier this month in a series of coordinated attacks believed to be carried out by Israel, killing dozens and injuring thousands.
