The Israeli army announced on Saturday that it had “eliminated” Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah in an air strike on Friday in Beirut. Hezbollah confirmed his death, vowing to continue its fight against Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Nasrallah’s killing "was a necessary step toward achieving the goals we have set”, returning displaced residents of northern Israel “safely to their homes” and changing “the balance of power in the region for years to come”. Read our blog to see how the day's developments in the Middle East unfolded.
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Yesterday's key developments:
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Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Hassan Nasrallah’s killing would change “the balance of power in the region for years to come”.
- Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli air strike on Friday, the Israeli military announced. The militant group has since confirmed Nasrallah's death.
- Other Hezbollah commanders including Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollah’s southern front, were also killed in the attack.
- Israel has launched more "extensive" strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon, hitting dozens of Hezbollah targets.The fresh attacks come after Israeli fighter jets bombarded the southern suburbs of Lebanon's capital Beirut overnight and late Friday.
- The Israeli military has mobilised additional reserve soldiers amid fears of escalating tensions.
- The number of people killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since Monday has surpassed 700, Lebanon's health ministry said on Friday.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
