Why the removal of Hassan Nasrallah matters to the whole world.
BILD spoke with an Israeli security expert. Security expert Professor Dan Shuftan (University of Haifa) argues that the assassination of Nasrallah is not just an Israeli-Arab event, but a milestone for the whole world.
This is a hundred times more important than killing the Hamas leader. Hassan Nasrallah was not only the military leader of an army with more ballistic missiles than most countries in the world, but also a religious leader. He was a hero and an inspiration to millions of people who believed in a new world order led by Islamists.”
After the Israeli army killed Hezbollah head Mousavi in 1992, Nasrallah became his successor and turned the organization into one of the most influential forces in the region (including financial and other support from Iran).
Hezbollah is now active in the Middle East, Europe and South America. Nasrallah actively supported the dictator Assad in Syria; about 2,000 fighters of his organization died in the Syrian war. This made Nasrallah one of the most hated leaders in the Arab world. In recent years, for many reasons, he has become increasingly unpopular in Lebanon itself; for example, Hezbollah members repeatedly beat peaceful protesters protesting against corruption.
The death of Nasralli deprives the Islamists of a unifying figure, and Iran – the most important instrument of its regional policy.
Hezbollah fans are in despair
The news of the death of Hassan Nasralli left his fans in Lebanon in despair. Some of them take to the streets with photographs of the Hezbollah leader and chant: “Nasrallah is the most powerful.”
One Beirut resident tearfully told DPA:
Nasrallah has left us. I can’t believe it.”
An upset woman shouted in front of a group of journalists:
Our strongest support has died.
Another man stated:
Previously there was only Nasrallah, now we are all Nasrallahs.
The world’s reaction
Iran convenes an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council after the liquidation of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah.
The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly warns against any attacks on its diplomatic premises and representatives that violate the fundamental principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises, and reiterates that it will not allow such aggression to be repeated, Iranian Ambassador to the UN Amir Saeed wrote to Iran council members after how Israel eliminated the leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah.
The United States sees signs of preparation for a possible Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon, CNN writes, citing a source in the Biden administration and without indicating when it could happen.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his address to the nation, called Nasrallah the “chief killer” and the “central engine of Iran’s axis of evil” and said that Israel had “settled scores” with those responsible for the deaths of “countless Israelis” and many foreigners.
Netanyahu said he personally ordered the killing of the Hezbollah leader, but the strikes carried out in recent days were still insufficient and added that the Israelis would face new challenges in the coming days.
US President Joe Biden called the death of the Hezbollah leader an act of justice:
Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for the murder of hundreds of Americans during a four-decade reign of terror. The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-backed terrorist groups.
United States Vice President Kamala Harris called the murdered Nasrallah “a terrorist with American blood on his hands.”
Iran raised a black flag as a symbol of mourning for Hezbollah leader Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli attack on Beirut.
The successor of the murdered Nasrallah may be his cousin Hashem Safieddin, the NYT believes.
According to the publication’s sources, Safieddin is one of the few senior Hezbollah leaders who survived and was not at the site of Friday’s Israeli strike on Beirut.
The New York Times calls him a key player in the political and social work of the terrorist movement.
In agreement with the National Cyberspace Center, Iran is introducing a red alert level for the next 48 hours, the Iranian Presidential Strategic Command Center (AFTA) said.
A high level of combat readiness has been declared at all US military bases in the Middle East due to events taking place in the region.
The United States is considering the possibility of increasing troops in the Middle East due to fears of a possible response from Iran or Hezbollah to the murder of Nasrallah, NBC News reports, citing representatives of the American administration.
Joe Biden called for a ceasefire on the Israel-Lebanon border and said the United States was “responding” to attempted missile attacks on American ships in the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, Israel’s ambassador to the UN said on CNN that there was no progress in ceasefire negotiations in Gaza.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.