Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon’s Shia Islamist Hezbollah movement, is one of the most prominent and influential figures in the Middle East.
Nasrallah, who was reportedly targeted in an airstrike on Beirut on Friday, has avoided public appearances for years due to concerns about being assassinated by Israel.
A figure closely tied to Iran, Nasrallah has played a crucial role in transforming Hezbollah into the formidable political and military entity it is today. He continues to be revered by the group’s supporters.
Hezbollah’s transition under Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah
Under his leadership, Hezbollah has trained fighters from Palestinian group Hamas, as well as militias in Iraq and Yemen, and has received missiles and rockets from Iran for use against Israel. Nasrallah has guided Hezbollah’s transition from a militia formed to combat Israeli occupation in Lebanon into a military force more powerful than the Lebanese army, a significant political power in Lebanon, and a major provider of health, education, and social services. Additionally, the group has been central to Iran’s efforts to exert regional influence.
About Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah
Born in 1960, Nasrallah was raised in the Bourj Hammoud neighborhood of Beirut, where his father ran a small grocery store. He was the eldest of nine children.
After Lebanon’s descent into civil war in 1975, Nasrallah joined the Shia militia Amal. Following a brief period studying in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, he returned to Lebanon and rejoined Amal. However, in 1982, he and several others split from the group, shortly after Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, which was in response to attacks by Palestinian militants.
The new group, Islamic Amal, received substantial support from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and eventually became Hezbollah. In 1985, Hezbollah officially formed and released a manifesto identifying the US and the Soviet Union as Islam’s main enemies and calling for Israel’s destruction.
The rise of About Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah
Nasrallah rose through Hezbollah’s ranks, eventually becoming its leader in 1992 after his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi, was killed in an Israeli helicopter strike. Soon after, Nasrallah orchestrated attacks in retaliation, including rocket strikes on northern Israel and bombings of Israeli embassies.
He also oversaw a low-intensity conflict with Israel, which led to Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. Nasrallah hailed this as the first Arab victory over Israel, and despite international calls for Hezbollah to disarm, he insisted that all Lebanese territory must be regained, including the disputed Shebaa Farms area.
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34-day conflict
Tensions remained relatively calm until 2006, when Hezbollah launched a cross-border raid that killed eight Israeli soldiers and kidnapped two others, triggering a large-scale Israeli response. Israeli forces bombed Hezbollah strongholds while Hezbollah retaliated by firing around 4,000 rockets into Israel. The 34-day conflict resulted in the deaths of over 1,125 Lebanese civilians and combatants, and nearly 164 Israelis, both military personnel and civilians.
Although targeted in Israeli airstrikes, Nasrallah survived. In 2009, he introduced a new political manifesto, dropping the call for an Islamic republic but maintaining a staunch stance against Israel and the US. Hezbollah continued to justify retaining its arms despite UN resolutions.
Hezbollah’s entry into the Syrian civil war
Nasrallah later acknowledged Hezbollah’s entry into the Syrian civil war, supporting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad at Iran’s request, a move that deepened sectarian tensions in Lebanon.
In 2019, Lebanon’s economic collapse led to mass protests against the political elite. Initially expressing support for reforms, Nasrallah’s position shifted when calls for systemic political changes emerged.
Hezbollah’s clashes with Israel
On October 8, 2023, following an unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas, fighting between Hezbollah and Israel intensified. Hezbollah fired at Israeli positions in support of the Palestinians. Nasrallah stated that the Hamas attack was entirely Palestinian in origin but emphasized the importance of Hezbollah’s own clashes with Israel. The group launched over 8,000 rockets at northern Israel and the Golan Heights, and conducted attacks on Israeli military targets.
The Israel Defense Forces retaliated with airstrikes and artillery fire, targeting Hezbollah positions in Lebanon. In his latest speech, Nasrallah accused Israel of responsibility for the explosion of communications equipment used by Hezbollah, which had killed 39 people. He described the incident as crossing a red line and acknowledged the significant losses suffered by Hezbollah.
In response, Israel escalated its attacks on Hezbollah, launching airstrikes that resulted in the deaths of nearly 800 people.
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