Mass Gatherings Banned In Tel-Aviv As Israel Awaits Hezbollah’s Retaliation After Nasrallah's Death

Tel Aviv: The Israeli military on Saturday ordered fresh restrictions on mass gatherings in parts of Central Israel, including the greater Tel Aviv area, as it anticipates attacks from Lebanon following the killing of Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah in the Israeli airstrike in Beirut. 

According to the fresh restrictions, gatherings of over 1,000 people will be banned.

Hezbollah Confirmed Hassan Nasrallah is Dead

Hezbollah announced today that its long-serving leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut. The group, in an official statement, confirmed that Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah for nearly three decades, had died as a “great martyr” in what it described as a 'treacherous' raid.

The statement, beginning with a religious invocation, hailed Nasrallah as a “heroic, daring, brave, wise, insightful, and faithful leader” who had led Hezbollah “from victory to victory.” 

His leadership, which began after the death of his predecessor in 1992, saw the group’s rise to prominence, most notably through the liberation of southern Lebanon from Israeli occupation in 2000 and the 2006 war with Israel, which Hezbollah refers to as the “Glorious Divine Victory.”

The Israeli airstrike is believed to have targeted Hezbollah’s central headquarters in Beirut, which Israel believes was intentionally located in residential buildings as a shield. 

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), described the operation as a “precise strike” on Hezbollah’s main base in the city. There has been no word yet on civilian casualties from the attack.

Nasrallah’s death, which Hezbollah likened to the martyrdom of historical Islamic leaders, was mourned across Lebanon, particularly among the group’s supporters.