On Friday September 27, 2024, Israel launched a massive bombing on residential areas of Haret Hreik neighborhood of Beirut's southern suburbs, that resulted in the killing of Hezbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah along with 12 top Hezbullah commanders. The attack was carried out by six US made F-35 aircraft that carried six two tons bombs. The explosions left a crater 98 feet deep.
It was the deadliest such attack on Beirut since the 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon, with Lebanese health authorities reporting at least 12 people killed and dozens more wounded in the attack.
Nasrallah is survived by his wife, Fatima Yassin, his three sons Jawad, Mohammed-Mahdi and Mohammed Ali, and several grandchildren, according to the AFP. His eldest son, Hadi, was killed in 1997, while fighting against Israeli invading forces in south Lebanon, and his daughter Zeinab was reportedly killed in the Beirut airstrike on Friday. According to CBS News.
Nasrallah became secretary general of Hezbullah in 1992 at 35, the public face of the group. He is known, according to Arab tradition, as Abu Hadi or father of Hadi, after his eldest son, who was 18 when he died, in September 1997, in a firefight with the IOF. Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah was 64. The word Arabic word "Sayyid" can be translated as master, chief or leader.
Nasrallah was credited with leading the resistance against the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon that led to the humiliating defeat and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon in 2000, after an 18-year occupation, the AFP reported. He also spearheaded Hezbollah's 34-day war against Israel in 2006. Nasrallah was the most charismatic Arab leader, revered by Lebanese people, highly respected among most Arabs, and feared but respected by the Israelis. Just like Abu Obeida, the military spokesman for Al-Qassam Brigades, when Nasrallah talks people listen.
Nasrallah killed for tying Hezbollah cause to Gaza war said one Israeli official. Even on the day he died, he rejected US-Frech proposal for three weeks-ceasefire with Israel. He insisted the ceasefire should include Gaza. So, Israel decided to assassinate Hezbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah because he refused to separate diplomatic talks on the Hezbollah-Israel front from the war in Gaza, according to an Israeli official.
I should point out that Hezbullah came to the rescue when it began firing missiles at Israel on October 8, 2023, in support of Gaza following the Israel savage bombardment on Gaza Strip. Nasrallah promised to keep supporting the Palestinian resistance until the aggression and siege on Gaza are stopped. A promise that Nasrallah did not change or alter until his last breath.
The official said it is up to Nasrallah's successor to agree to a diplomatic solution that allows Israel to achieve the goals it has publicly set -- the safe return of over 60,000 Israelis to their homes in the north. However, the official added, Israel has "many other tools to make sure that if they do not agree, we have other ways to achieve" that goal.
The French "Le Parisien" claimed that a foreign spy was the one who signaled to the Israeli side about the time and place of the meeting held by Hezbollah top brass and that was when the attack occurred. This report could not be independently verified, nor it was reported by any other news publications. I still find this ironic sine the French, British, and US intelligence are working around the clock with the Israeli to locate Yahya Sinwar and Hassan Nasrallah.
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After the assassination of Hezbullah's longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah in last week airstrike on Beirut, reports are circulating about his potential predecessor, according to Lebanese news suggest the Lebanese resistance group No. 2, Hashem Safieddine ,60, the late leader's maternal cousin, will likely assume the role.
Israel claims that the location of Hezbullah’s central headquarters, located in the heart of Beirut, embedded beneath civilian building, which unequivocally proves that Hezbollah hides among civilians and thereby endangering the lives of the people of Lebanon. However, Israel forgets that the Israeli Death Forces (IDF HQ) is imbedded in the Hakirya district in most densely populated area in Tel Aviv. This unequivocally proves that the IOF command center hides among civilians, endangering the lives of the people of Israel. Let's face it, Israel has one hell of public relation problem: They are terrible at it.
Just because the US and Israel call Hamas and Hezbullah terrorists doesn't make it so. From the start, Israel pushed the Palestinians out and that is why they will never stop fighting the Israeli occupation. As far as they're concerned, Israel and the west are the aggressors. Remember, when the entire world considered Nelson Mandela as a freedom fighter, The U.S. government officially considered Nelson Mandela a terrorist until 2008? It should be comforting for Hezbullah and Hamas to know that US government also accused Mandela and the African National Congress (ANC) of being communists and terrorists in the past, and even placed Mandela and the ANC on a terrorist watch list.
The hearts of the Israeli leaders are full of hate, lies and deceit because they want the whole world to help them fight their dirty wars and take what was never theirs in the first place. Palestinians and Jews lived in reasonable harmony in Palestine for centuries. Muslims welcomed Jews in all of their countries. Hint: There are still beautiful Synagogues in Iran and all over the Arab world.
In my views, Hezbollah's support for The Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad was the group's only mistake that I have forgiven, due to Nasrallah's swift and full support for the Palestinian, whereas ALL other Sunni Arab and Muslim leaders shamefully sided with Crime Minister Netanyahu and the IOF. Meanwhile thousands of Lebanese lost their lives and suffered a lot of pain and loss for standing up against the Israeli aggression against Palestinians and the occupation of Lebanon. As a Palestinian who was born and raised in Lebanon I hold the Lebanese people in high regards, and I will be in debt for ever to them for their sacrifices toward the Palestinian cause.
I would like to note here, according to Lebanese medical examiners, the body of the late Nasrallah had no direct wound and it appeared the cause of death was blunt trauma from the force of the blast. So, the body was not decimated and was not shredded to pieces as Israeli media commentators joyfully claimed.
On a lighter note, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah wrote a poem for his son Shadi who was martyred in 1978 defending Lebanon against the Israeli invading army. I ran into it on Twitter two days after he was martyred. Here it goes:
"The birds migrating in September"
O Son, I am your orphaned father.
As soon as you left, my lonely nights became still with my tears.
Whenever a bird migrates in September, I will remember you.
Incidentally, Nasrallah was martyred in September resisting the Israeli aggression and occupation. 37 years after his son Hadi's martyrdom, now they will be reunited again. Nasrallah's departure was a great loss to Palestinians, Lebanese, and all free people around the world. He was killed after 32 long years of struggle, and he has left some big shoes to fill."
Rest in peace, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah!
Mahmoud El-Yousseph is a Palestinian freelancer for the Islamicity.com and ColumbusFreePress.com. He can be reached at elyousseph6@yahoo.com