Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, widely regarded as the ‘most powerful man’ in Lebanon issued a stern warning to Israel on Thursday, following attacks on the group’s communication devices, including pagers, walkie-talkies, and radios. He called the attacks a “severe blow” and accused Israel of crossing a “red line,” vowing that Israelis will not return to their homes until the Gaza conflict concludes.
The 64-year-old delivered his latest address after an unprecedented attack targeting Hezbollah’s communication devices, which the group blamed on Israel. The series of attacks, which killed at least 37 people and injured over 3,000, has intensified concerns that nearly a year of consistent skirmishes between Hezbollah and Israel could spiral into a full-scale war.
Who is Hassan Nasrallah?
– Hassan Nasrallah was born on August 31, 1960, in Burj Hammud, an impoverished northern suburb of Beirut. He was one of nine children, raised by a poor grocer whose family hailed from Bazuriyeh, a small village in southern Lebanon.
– Nasrallah spent three years studying politics and Islamic scripture in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, Iraq. However, in 1978, he was expelled when the Sunni-led government began targeting Shiite activists. Afterwards, he became deeply involved in Lebanese politics and gained early experience in the Amal militia during the country’s civil war.
– He later split from Amal in 1982, when Israeli troops invaded Beirut, to co-found Hezbollah. In 1992, at just 32 years old, he was elected secretary general of Hezbollah following the death of Abbas al-Musawi, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike.
– Nasrallah is married and has four living children. His eldest son, Hadi, was killed during a military operation against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon in 1997.
– Nasrallah’s reputation suffered a significant blow during the Arab Spring in 2011, when he sent Hezbollah fighters to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. This move was seen as controversial in the wider Arab world.
– After the 15-year Lebanese civil war ended in 1990, Hezbollah was the only faction that retained its arms. Nasrallah continues to argue that Israel poses an ongoing existential threat.
– Following an attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, Hezbollah has engaged in daily skirmishes with Israeli forces along the Lebanon-Israel border.
– Nasrallah’s popularity peaked across the Arab world after the 2006 conflict with Israel, when a UN-brokered ceasefire was declared. His supporters widely distributed his image, celebrating what they saw as a “divine victory.” However, in Lebanon, the group remains polarising, as many oppose its influence and dream of a non-sectarian country governed by the rule of law.
– Nasrallah’s involvement in the Syrian conflict during the Arab Spring damaged his image further across the region, as he supported the Assad regime.
(With AFP inputs)
