Zainab Nasrallah, the daughter of prominent Hezbollah figure Hassan Nasrallah, was allegedly killed on Friday in an Israeli airstrike that targeted Hezbollah positions in southern Beirut, Lebanon, according to Channel 12. Regarding her passing, nevertheless, neither Israel nor Hezbollah nor the Lebanese government have released an official statement.
Should Zainab Nasrallah’s death be verified, it might have a big symbolic impact on Hezbollah and how the organisation reacts to the current war with Israel.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Zainab Nasrallah received recognition for her vocal support of Hezbollah and her family’s sacrifices. She had already spoken about her brother Hadi’s 1997 killing at the hands of Israeli soldiers.
Israeli bombings in Beirut target Hassan Nasrallah
Following the Israeli military’s announcement on Friday that it had attacked Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut, multiple high-rise apartment complexes were demolished and the militant group’s leader was the target of a series of massive explosions, according to the Associated Press (AP).
The worst explosion in the Lebanese capital in a year caused at least six fatalities and 91 injuries, according to the health ministry of Lebanon. These events sparked worries that the rapidly intensifying conflict would lead to all-out war.
The intended target of the strikes was Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, according to two sources familiar with the situation that AP cited. One of the sources was a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Hezbollah has not commented on the situation, and the Israeli army declined to comment on the precise targets. It is also unknown if Nasrallah was present at the location.
The number of fatalities is anticipated to increase dramatically as rescue workers comb through the debris of six demolished structures. After the first explosion, Israel struck other parts of the southern suburbs several times.
For years, Hassan Nasrallah has avoided public life and lived in seclusion. Even though he gives talks all the time, he does so via video from secret locations.
Hezbollah’s main headquarters is located in what is known as its “security quarters,” a strongly fortified section of Haret Hreik that also houses the group’s offices and numerous neighbouring hospitals. As of Friday evening, the location of the attack was still unknown to the public.
Hezbollah had not stated the incident even hours after the strike. It instead claimed to have launched a volley of rockets into the Israeli city of Safed, citing this as “a response to the barbaric Israeli violation of cities, villages, and civilians, as well as in defence of Lebanon and its people.”
