Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, dead at 64, led a clandestine life on the run

FRANCE 24

28 September 2024 at 5:17 am·1-min read

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli air strike targeting the group's headquarters in Beirut late on Friday. Nasrallah led Hezbollah through decades of conflict with Israel, overseeing its transformation from an armed group into a political force that – backed by Iran – dominated Lebanese politics.

Hassan Nasrallah was largely responsible for expanding Hezbollah (Party of God) from a guerrilla faction into Lebanon's most powerful political force. He led the armed group through decades of conflict with Israel, overseeing its transformation into a force with regional sway and becoming one of the most prominent Arab figures in generations.

He enjoyed cult status among his Shiite Muslim supporters, had a formidable arsenal far bigger and more modern than Lebanon's national army, and dominated Lebanese institutions.

He became secretary general of Hezbollah in 1992 at just 32 years of age, becoming the public face of a once-shadowy group that was founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982 to fight the Israeli occupation.

Nasrallah led Hezbollah when its guerrillas finally drove Israeli forces from southern Lebanon in 2000, ending an 18-year occupation.

Supporting Hamas

A clandestine life

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Supporting Hamas

A clandestine life

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