Israel says it has also eliminated HASSAN KHALIL YASSIN who replaced killed leader of Hezbollah, HASSAN NASRALLAH, hours ago

Monday, September 30, 2024 - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the elimination of senior Hezbollah intelligence commander Hassan Khalil Yassin in a precision strike on Saturday, September 28, in the Dahieh district of Beirut.

According to a report by the Jerusalem Post, Yassin, a key figure in Hezbollah’s intelligence array, was responsible for identifying civilian and military targets within Israeli territory.

"Yassin stood at the head of a department responsible for the identification of civilian and military targets, on the northern border and deep within Israeli territory," the IDF stated. The military added that Yassin had been heavily involved in planning terror attacks during the ongoing war, with further attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers in the works.

The strike on Yassin came amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah following the assassination of Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The IDF confirmed that Nasrallah was killed a day earlier in airstrikes targeting Hezbollah's main headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold known as the Dahiyeh.

"Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world," the IDF declared after confirming Nasrallah's death. His underground headquarters, hidden beneath residential buildings, was targeted in the airstrikes.

In response to Nasrallah’s death, Lebanon launched an attack on Israeli territory, prompting air raid sirens to sound in areas near Jerusalem. The IDF posted on X (formerly Twitter): "Sirens sounded in the area of Jerusalem following a launch from Lebanon into Israeli territory."

The airstrikes and high-profile eliminations have further intensified tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, with protests erupting in Iran following Nasrallah’s death. Protesters carried portraits of the Hezbollah leader and chanted slogans calling for "revenge" and denouncing both Israel and the United States.

Lebanon has declared a three-day mourning period following Nasrallah's assassination. Meanwhile, Iran has called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting to address the rapidly escalating conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the killing of Nasrallah as a "historic turning point," stating that Israel had "settled its account" with a mass murderer responsible for countless Israeli, American, and French lives.

As violence continues to escalate, Lebanon’s health ministry reported that Israeli airstrikes on Saturday killed 33 people and injured 195 more. In total, over 1,000 people have been killed, with more than 6,000 wounded, and about one million Lebanese displaced due to the Israeli strikes over the past two weeks.