Hezbollah's chilling threat to Israel after leader Hassan Nasrallah killed in airstrike

Hezbollah has confirmed the death of its leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike and vowed to 'continue the holy war against the enemy' as new fears of escalation mount

Hezbollah has confirmed its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike while making a chilling threat to continue its "holy war".

The Lebanese militant group leader died yesterday in Beirut after being targeted in Israel's huge airstrike campaign, which was launched in a bid to destroy Hezbollah following months of fighting. The assassination of Nasrallah marks one of the most significant blows to Hezbollah since the conflict began. Nasrallah is one of the most powerful targets to be killed by Israel in weeks of intense cross-border fighting.

A statement on Saturday said Nasrallah "has joined his fellow martyrs." In a ramping up of rhetoric, the statement also vowed to "continue the holy war against the enemy and in support of Palestine." Nasrallah led the militant group for more than three decades, and his death could dramatically reshape conflicts across the Middle East.

The Lebanese Health Ministry said six people were killed and 91 injured in strikes on Beirut yesterday, which levelled six blocks of flats. Ali Karki, the Commander of Hezbollah's Southern Front, and additional Hezbollah commanders were also killed in the attack, the Israeli military said.

Lt Col Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesperson, said the airstrike was based on years of tracking Nasrallah along with a string of new "real time information" that made it possible. He said Nasrallah's death had been confirmed through various types of intelligence, but declined to elaborate. Shoshani declined to say what munitions were used in the strike or provide an estimate on civilian deaths in the strike, only saying that Israel takes measures to avoid civilians whenever possible and clears strikes ahead of time with intelligence and legal experts.

Israel's Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, said Saturday that the elimination of Nasrallah was "not the end of our toolbox," indicating that more strikes were planned. He said that the strike targeting Hezbollah leadership was the result of a long period of preparation.

The news came as a shock in Tehran, which is the main supporter of Lebanese Hezbollah and other militant groups in the region. Iranian state television read the announcement from Hezbollah confirming Nasrallah's death live, but there was no other immediate comment. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a televised Saturday message said "the resistance movement, heading by Hezbollah, will decide the fate of the region". He added that Hezbollah was strong enough to withstand the Israeli barrage.

The UK Government has repeated its plea for calm in the Middle East following Nasrallah's death, and Number 10 reiterated the Foreign Secretary’s message to the UN earlier this week in which he called for a ceasefire and a political solution to the conflict. David Lammy told the UN Security Council on Wednesday: “A full-blown war is not in the interests of the Israeli or Lebanese people.” Pleas for a ceasefire from Western leaders including US President Joe Biden have so far proved unsuccessful, with both Israel and Hezbollah vowing to fight on.

Israel has vowed to step up pressure on Hezbollah until it halts its attacks, which have displaced tens of thousands of Israelis from communities near the Lebanese border. The recent fighting has also displaced more than 200,000 Lebanese citizens in the past week, according to the United Nations. The military said it was mobilising additional reserve soldiers as tensions escalate with Lebanon, activating three battalions of reserve soldiers to serve across the country. The call comes after it sent two brigades to northern Israel earlier in the week to train for a possible ground invasion.

Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah escalated dramatically last week when thousands of explosives hidden in pagers and walkie-talkies used by militants detonated, killing dozens of people and leaving thousands, including many civilians, with severe injuries to the eyes, face and limbs. Israel has also killed several top Hezbollah commanders in Beirut in addition to the attack that they said killed Nasrallah.