Israel-Lebanon latest: Israel on high alert as Hezbollah confirms leader Hassan Nasrallah killed in Beirut strike

Lebanon’s health minister has said that 11 people were killed and 108 injured in Israeli strikes on Friday, after the attack which killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah levelled six blocks of flats.

Iran is in a precarious position after the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, having not yet responded either to the death of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, warned Chatham House analyst Dr Sanam Vakil.

“An attack from Tehran will certainly invite an Israeli response – one that Netanyahu is clearly looking for, said Dr Vakil, who leads the think-tank’s Middle East and North Africa programme.

“Its reputation as the patron of the axis is certainly damaged. Iran’s intelligence continues to be compromised and its positioning in Syria too remains under persistent attack. Furthermore, it is clear that the axis has not proven effective at providing Iran deterrence, defence against Israel or a ceasefire in Gaza.

“Pezeshkian, Iran’s new president also seeks negotiations and sanctions relief. A military response to Nasrallah’s death will, for the time being, close down the path of diplomacy. “

“Despite these risks and calculations, Iran will be looking for some way to turn the tables and save some face. This could result in a coordinated axis response including from Iraq and the Houthis or another direct Iranian strike on Israel itself.

“By maintain pressure or even escalating, Tehran is aware that this will invite further attacks, but it will choose to do so keep pressure on Israel, perhaps return the focus to Gaza and a ceasefire and above all to stop further Israeli attacks.”

Hezbollah has confirmed its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israel airstrike.

France’s foreign ministry has said that, according to its information, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is indeed dead, as claimed by Israel.

“According to the information we have, Hassan Nasrallah, secretary general of Hezbollah, would indeed have died,” the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has recommended that airlines do not operate in Lebanese or Israeli airspace for the next month.

The agency said that “an overall intensification of air strikes and degradation in the security situation has been noted, impacting the safety of airspace over Israel and Lebanon”.

It did not cite any one specific event in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah as a trigger for issuing its “conflict zone information bulletins” for the two countries.

It said the recommendation is valid until 31 October but could be reviewed earlier and adapted or withdrawn.

Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani has said that much of Hezbollah’s arsenal remains intact despite intense Israeli strikes over the past week, and that Israel will continue to target the group.

“This isn’t a threat that has gone away,” he said, adding that it is “safe to assume” that Hezbollah will retaliate.

But he said Israel hopes the blow “will change Hezbollah’s actions” and alter the course of the war.

Mr Shoshani said the airstrike targeting Nasrallah was based on years of tracking him, along with “real-time information.” He said Israel confirmed the death through various types of intelligence, though he declined to elaborate.

Israeli airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs are ongoing, witnesses have told Reuters , saying smoke was visible rising from the affected area.

A banner reading “Hezbollah is alive” and featuring a picture of leader Hassan Nasrallah was seen in northern Tehran today, after Israel said it had killed the decades-long chief of the Lebanese militant group.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has urged people “to stand by the people of Lebanon and the proud Hezbollah with whatever means they have and assist them in confronting the ... wicked regime [of Israel]”.

Following Israel’s claim to have killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Iranian state media reported Mr Khamenei as saying: “The fate of this region will be determined by the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront.”

His remarks come after two regional officials briefed by Tehran told Reuters that Khamenei had been transferred to a secure location inside the country with heightened security measures in place.

Under the leadership of the 64-year-old Nasrallah, Hezbollah has fought wars against Israel and taken part in the conflict in neighbouring Syria, helping tip the balance of power in favour of president Bashar Assad.

A charismatic and shrewd strategist, Hassan Nasrallah reshaped Hezbollah into an arch-enemy of Israel, cementing alliances with Shia religious leaders in Iran and Palestinian militant groups such as Hamas.

Idolised by his Lebanese Shia followers and respected by millions of others across the Arab and Islamic world, Nasrallah holds the title of sayyid, an honorific meant to signify the Shia cleric’s lineage dating back to the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam.

A fiery orator viewed as an extremist in the US and much of the West, he is also considered a pragmatist compared to the firebrand militants who dominated Hezbollah after its founding in 1982, during Lebanon’s civil war.

Despite the power he wields, Nasrallah has lived largely in hiding in the past years for fear of an Israeli assassination.