Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Saturday that he personally authorized the operation to eliminate Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. Nasrallah, 64, was killed in Israeli strikes targeting dozens of Hezbollah sites in eastern and southern Lebanon after an intense rocket attack by the group in northern Israel. Israeli jets bombed Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut overnight, destroying several residential buildings.
Netanyahu hailed Nasrallah’s death as an important achievement in Israel’s military strategy and a step toward restoring security on Israel’s northern borders.
Addressing his nation after Nasrallah’s assassination, Netanyahu said that Nasrallah was responsible for carrying out numerous attacks on Israelis and foreign civilians in the 1980s, including high-profile bombings.
These attacks included the 1983 bombings in Beirut, which killed 63 people at the US Embassy and hundreds of US Marines and French paratroopers. Netanyahu said the death of “terrorist” Nasrallah was important for reducing Hezbollah’s capabilities, adding, “As long as Nasrallah was alive, he would quickly restore the capabilities that we lost from Hezbollah.”
“We have settled our accounts with the man responsible for the murder of countless Israelis and scores of Americans and scores of citizens of other countries, including dozens of Frenchmen,” he said.
Reading Hezbollah chief killed in Israeli strike: “Will no longer terrorize the world”
The Israeli prime minister hailed Nasrallah’s ouster as a turning point that would accelerate the return of northern Israeli residents who fled cross-border firing and further weaken Hamas, Hezbollah’s ally in Gaza. “The more (Hamas leader Yahya) Sinwar realizes that Hezbollah is no longer coming to save him, the more likely it is for the return of our hostages,” Netanyahu said, referring to ongoing efforts by Hamas to secure the release of Israelis captured. There will be more.” This is the attack of 7 October.
Netanyahu praised the Israeli military and intelligence agencies, including the IDF, Mossad and Shin Bet, for carrying out the operation. “We are winning,” he said.
Reading Hassan Nasrallah is dead. This cleric is now ready to lead Hezbollah
Netanyahu used Nasrallah’s death as an opportunity to warn Iran. He said Israel’s reach extends throughout the region, including Iran, and made clear that Nasrallah’s killing should serve as a message to Tehran and its proxies. He said, “There is no place in Iran or the Middle East beyond Israel’s long arm’s reach, and today you know how true that is.” “I say to the Ayatollah’s regime: whoever defeats us, we will defeat him.”
Concluding his message, Netanyahu called this period a “historic turning point” and reaffirmed his commitment to the safe return of displaced residents and the recovery of hostages. He concluded with a pledge of unity: “We will fight together, and with God’s help, we will prevail together.”
He said, “We are committed to continuing to attack our enemies, return our residents to their homes, and return all our abducted people. We do not forget them even for a moment.”
