The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has disclosed that Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, has been killed in an airstrike on Beirut.

The strike, which occurred late Friday night, also reportedly claimed the lives of several high-ranking Hezbollah commanders, including Ali Karki, the commander of the group’s Southern Front.

In a statement released Saturday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declared, “Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization and one of its founders, was eliminated by the IDF, together with Ali Karki and additional Hezbollah commanders.”

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The airstrike marked a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, as prior to last week, Israeli strikes on the Lebanese capital had been exceedingly rare.

Overnight, the IDF continued its bombardment of Beirut, targeting what it described as missile storage facilities belonging to Hezbollah.

Witnesses in the city reported hearing massive explosions reverberating through the area.

The IDF confirmed that the airstrike targeted the central headquarters of Hezbollah, located underground beneath a residential building in the Dahiyeh neighborhood of Beirut.

The military claimed that the strike was conducted while Hezbollah’s senior leadership was present and involved in planning further attacks against Israel.

The escalation follows a recent increase in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which began when Hezbollah began firing on northern Israel in the wake of Hamas’ attack on October 7.

According to Israeli officials, approximately 60,000 citizens have been displaced as a result of the conflict, with the government pledging to facilitate their return.

In the past week, Israeli military actions against Hezbollah have intensified, reportedly resulting in hundreds of deaths and significant displacement among civilians in Lebanon, as reported by the Lebanese government.

Hassan Nasrallah, born in Beirut in August 1960, was a pivotal figure in transforming Hezbollah into one of the most formidable paramilitary forces in the Middle East.

Rising to prominence after the assassination of his predecessor, Abbas Musawi, in 1992, Nasrallah led the group through various conflicts, including the 2006 Lebanon War and ongoing tensions with Israel.

His death, if confirmed, could have profound implications for Hezbollah and the broader regional dynamics, as the organization navigates its response to Israel’s intensified military campaign.

Hezbollah launched a rocket attack on northern Israel on Saturday, its first strike following a series of intense Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight.

In response, the Israeli military confirmed new airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions in eastern Lebanon, as tensions between the two sides escalate, raising fears of a broader conflict.

In a statement, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for targeting the kibbutz Kabri in northern Israel with a salvo of Fadi-1 rockets, asserting that the attack was a defensive measure against what they termed “barbaric” Israeli actions against Lebanese civilians.

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“Defending Lebanon and its people, and responding to the barbaric attacks on cities and villages,” the group said, reaffirming its commitment to retaliate against Israeli aggression.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that sirens were activated in northern Israel as a response to Hezbollah’s claims, indicating the heightened state of alert in the region.

The IDF also stated that they were currently engaging “terror targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the area of Beqaa” in eastern Lebanon.

The tensions escalated significantly after the Israeli military executed a series of heavy bombardments on Friday, targeting what it identified as Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut.

The strikes resulted in substantial destruction, leveling several high-rise buildings and reportedly aimed at eliminating key figures within the militant group, including its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, at least six people were killed and 91 others injured in the Israeli strikes, marking the largest blast to affect the Lebanese capital in the past year.

As rescue teams continue to sift through the rubble of six destroyed buildings, authorities fear the death toll may rise.

Sources close to the situation, including a U.S. official, indicated that Nasrallah was the primary target of the Israeli airstrikes, suggesting a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict.

The attacks have raised concerns that the situation could spiral into a full-fledged war as both sides prepare for further military engagement.

As regional tensions mount, the international community watches closely, hoping for a de-escalation in a conflict that has already inflicted significant casualties and devastation on both sides.

Barr Aloy Ejimakor, lead counsel to detained Indigenous People of Biafra’s (IPOB) leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has condemned the Department of State Services (DSS) for denying his legal team access to Kanu in custody.

In a statement via X on Friday, Ejimakor alleged that the DSS blocked Friday’s scheduled visit, violating court orders and constitutional rights.

He suggested this move was retaliation for Kanu’s successful request to recuse Justice Binta Nyako from his terrorism trial.

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He said, “Today, in violation of subsisting court orders and the constitution, the DSS blocked the legal team of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from meeting with him at the detention facility.

“It appears that the DSS has cancelled all future visitations to Kanu as a retaliation against Kanu for chasing away Justice Binta Nyako from the case and causing her embarrassment.

“What this means is that the DSS, acting on behalf of the federal government of Nigeria, has unlawfully isolated Kanu from his lawyers, thus making his solitary confinement absolute. I don’t know when next, if ever, it may be possible to see Kanu again.”

The IPOB leader, who is being detained at the custody of the DSS in Abuja, is standing trial before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja over terrorism-related charges.

Kanu had told the trial Judge, Justice Binta Nyako on Tuesday that he had lost confidence in her court and demanded she hands off his case.

Justice Nyako granted his request, excused herself from the case, and remitted the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to another Judge to handle.