Hassan Nasrallah | |
|---|---|
حسن نصر الله | |
 Nasrallah in 2019 | |
| 3rd Secretary-General of Hezbollah | |
| In office 16 February 1992 – 27 September 2024 | |
| Deputy | Naim Qassem |
| Preceded by | Abbas al-Musawi |
| Succeeded by | Naim Qassem |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 August 1960 Bourj Hammoud, Lebanon |
| Died | 27 September 2024 (aged 64) Dahieh, Lebanon |
| Manner of death | Assassination by airstrike |
| Political party | Hezbollah (1982–2024) |
| Other political affiliations | Amal (1978–1982) |
| Spouse |
Fatima Mustafa Yassine
(m. 1978) |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | Hashem Safieddine (cousin) |
| Occupation |
|
| Signature |  |
| Part of a series on |
| Hezbollah |
|---|
Hassan Nasrallah (Arabic: حسن نصر الله, romanized: Ḥasan Naṣr-Allāh, pronounced [ħasan nasˤralːaːh]; 31 August 1960 – 27 September 2024) was a Lebanese cleric and politician who served as the third secretary-general of Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist political party and militia, from 1992 until his assassination in 2024.
Born into a Shia family in the suburbs of Beirut in 1960, Nasrallah finished his education in Tyre, when he briefly joined the Amal Movement, and afterward at a Shia seminary in Baalbek. He later studied and taught at an Amal school. Nasrallah joined Hezbollah, which was formed to fight the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. After a brief period of religious studies in Iran, Nasrallah returned to Lebanon and became Hezbollah's leader after his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi, was assassinated by an Israeli airstrike in 1992.[1][2]
Under Nasrallah's leadership, Hezbollah acquired rockets with a longer range, which allowed them to strike at northern Israel. After Israel suffered heavy casualties during its 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon, it withdrew its forces in 2000, which greatly increased Hezbollah's popularity in the region, and bolstered Hezbollah's position within Lebanon.[3] Hezbollah cultivated Nasrallah's media image as a charismatic authority, though this image was later weakened.[4] Hezbollah's role in ambushing an Israeli border patrol unit leading up to the 2006 Lebanon War was subject to criticism, though he projected the end of the war as a Lebanese and Arab victory.[5][4]
During the Syrian civil war, Hezbollah fought on the side of the Syrian government against what Nasrallah termed "Islamist extremists". Nasrallah also promoted the "Axis of Resistance", an informal coalition of Iran-backed groups focused on opposing Israel and the United States.[6][neutrality is disputed] After the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Hezbollah engaged in the war against Israel, resulting in an ongoing conflict that impacted both sides of the border.[7] On 27 September 2024, Israel assassinated Nasrallah when its air force struck the group's headquarters.[8]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Al Jazeera 2000was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Hezbollah". Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
- ^ "What is Hezbollah and why is Israel attacking Lebanon?". BBC News. 3 November 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Matar 2015was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Norton, Augustus R. (2018). Hezbollah: a short history. Princeton studies in Muslim politics (3rd ed.). Princeton Oxford: Princeton University Press. p. 69. ISBN 978-0-691-18088-5.
- ^ "Hassan Nasrallah's death will reshape Lebanon and the Middle East". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ Goldenberg, Tia; Shurafa, Wafaa (8 October 2023). "Hezbollah and Israel exchange fire as Israeli soldiers battle Hamas on second day of surprise attack". Associated Press News. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "Israel says it struck Hezbollah's headquarters in huge explosion that shakes Lebanese capital". AP News. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.