Mon Sep 30 00:12:39 UTC 2024: ## Hezbollah Leader Nasrallah Killed in Israeli Airstrike, Tensions Escalate

**Beirut, Lebanon:** The body of Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was recovered from the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Sunday. Sources reported that Nasrallah’s death was caused by blunt trauma from the force of the blast. The airstrike targeted an underground bunker in south Beirut where Nasrallah and other high-ranking Hezbollah commanders were meeting.

Israel confirmed carrying out a precise strike on the bunker, located 60 feet below a bustling street. Meanwhile, Hezbollah confirmed the death of one of its senior commanders, Ali Karaki, in the same airstrike. Karaki, a member of Hezbollah’s Jihad Council and commander of the organization’s southern front, had been sanctioned by the US in 2019 and narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by Israel in 2024.

The airstrike also claimed the life of Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan, an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) deputy commander. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, condemned the killing as a “horrible crime” and vowed retaliation.

Amid growing fears of a wider conflict, European foreign ministers have called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati is set to convene an emergency meeting on Sunday to address the escalating tensions. Over 90,000 people have fled southern Lebanon following the intensified Israeli strikes.

The Lebanese army urged citizens to preserve national unity and avoid actions that could disrupt civil peace during this “dangerous and delicate stage.” The army statement warned that Israel is attempting to sow division among Lebanese.

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