Who was Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah chief killed in Israeli strike?

Lebanese resistance organization, Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah, alongwith his daughter and senior commander were martyred in Israeli airstrike on southern Beirut.

Yesterday, Israeli aircraft carried out intense bombings in southern Beirut, causing destruction in multiple areas and toppling six buildings. Israel claimed to have targeted Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut.

Reports indicate that Hassan Nasrallah was present on the 14th underground floor of Hezbollah's headquarters, where Israeli missiles traced his location and struck.

Who was Hassan Nasrallah?

Hassan Nasrallah was born in 1960 in the eastern Beirut neighborhood of Bourj Hammoud. He spent his childhood there with his nine siblings. His father sold vegetables from a cart to support the family.

After the Lebanese Civil War broke out in 1975, Nasrallah joined the Amal Movement, later becoming a part of the resistance movement. He pursued religious studies in the city of Najaf, Iraq.

In 1982, following Israel's invasion of Palestine, Nasrallah announced the formation of a new group called Hezbollah. This group received support from countries like Iran and quickly rose to prominence as one of the most influential Shia militias.

In 1985, Hezbollah formally announced its creation through a "letter," identifying the U.S. and the Soviet Union as Islam's primary enemies and calling for the "destruction" of Israel, accusing it of occupying Muslim lands.

As Hezbollah grew, Nasrallah worked his way up through the ranks. After serving as a fighter, he eventually assumed leadership and expanded Hezbollah's reach across Lebanon.

Before Nasrallah, Abbas al-Musawi led Hezbollah until he was killed in 1992 by an Israeli helicopter strike. At the age of 32, Nasrallah took over as leader of the entire organization.

Upon assuming command, Nasrallah vowed to avenge Musawi’s death, ordering a rocket attack on northern Israel, which resulted in the death of a young girl. Additionally, Hezbollah targeted the Israeli embassy's security personnel in Turkey and orchestrated a suicide bombing at the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing 29 people.

Nasrallah also managed a low-intensity conflict with Israeli forces, which concluded in 2000 with their withdrawal from southern Lebanon. However, this period saw personal tragedy for Nasrallah when his eldest son, Hadi, was killed in an exchange of fire with Israeli soldiers.

After the withdrawal, Nasrallah declared that Hezbollah had achieved the first Arab victory over Israel and vowed that Hezbollah would never disarm, asserting that they would regain control of all Lebanese territory, including Shebaa Farms.

From 2006, Hezbollah carried out a cross-border attack, killing eight Israeli soldiers and capturing two, which led to a massive Israeli retaliation. Israeli warplanes bombarded Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut, while Hezbollah launched nearly 4,000 rockets into Israel. The conflict lasted for 34 days, resulting in the deaths of 1,125 Lebanese civilians, 119 Israeli soldiers, and 45 Israeli civilians.

In 2009, Israeli warplanes targeted Nasrallah's home and offices, but he survived the attack. 

In his most recent speech, Nasrallah accused Israel of setting off explosives in thousands of pagers and radio handsets used by Hezbollah members, killing 39 people and injuring thousands.