Thousands of people have staged protests across Pakistan after the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah by Israel.
Around 4,000 people gathered in the capital Islamabad and another 3,000 protested in the southern port city of Karachi.
“We stand against what Israel is doing in Palestine and Lebanon, this is why we are here today,” a protester said during the rally in Islamabad.
Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah’s killing yesterday, Saturday, September 28, 2024, but did not elaborate on how he was killed or when his funeral would be.
The Israeli military announced that it killed “more than 20” Hezbollah members of varying ranks during its attack that also killed the group’s Head, Hassan Nasrallah.
In a statement on Telegram, the army said those who were killed had been present in the building where Nasrallah was killed and was managing different operations for the group.
Those it claimed it killed include Ali Karaki, the commander of Hezbollah’s southern front, Ibrahim Hussein Jazini, head of Nasrallah’s security unit, Samir Tawfiq Dib, Nasrallah’s “longtime confidant”, Abed al-Amir Muhammad Sablini, head of Hezbollah’s force build-up and Ali Naaf Ayoub, coordinator of Hezbollah’s firepower.
Hezbollah confirmed Ali Karaki’s death.
According to Ali Rizk, a Security and Political Analyst, it is possible for Hezbollah to not announce a leader for some time because whoever succeeds Nasrallah will also be a target for a possible assassination.
“Recently, the new commander of the Radwan Force was assassinated by Israel just a few days after he was appointed following the assassination of his predecessor. So I think that Hezbollah has to address these gaps and this apparent infiltration compromise which has taken place within its ranks before it can clearly declare who is in fact going to occupy those senior positions.”
Ali Rizk
“I think that Hezbollah still possesses the capabilities to launch some painful attacks on the Israeli side. More importantly, Hezbollah is in a race against time because Israel is not letting up,” Rizk added.
Meanwhile, Israeli jets continue nonstop bombardment across Lebanon, including suburbs of capital Beirut.
US Says All-Out War Not The Way To Return People To Homes In Northern Israel
White House National Security Spokesman, John Kirby asserted that Israel will not be able to safely get people back to their homes in the north of the country by waging all-out war with Hezbollah or Iran.
Kirby added that the US was talking to Israel about what the right next steps in Lebanon would be.
Despite the rhetoric, the administration of US President Joe Biden has been approving billions of dollars’ worth of weapons transfers to Israel.
Critics have called on the US to cut off weapons transfers to Israel, alleging that they make the US complicit in the destruction of Gaza and bombardment of Lebanon.
In Omar Rahman’s perspective, the US is playing games in terms of a ceasefire in Lebanon.
“It is trying to appear as the responsible partner while pushing the Israelis, financing the Israelis,” Rahman, who is a fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, told a news agency.
“I think there are people behind the scenes within the US administration that are very much on board with Israel’s strategy. They are communicating regularly in terms of the military strategy.
“Widening the lens here, the United States has been totally complicit in the destruction of Gaza over the past year. It has given Israel everything it has wanted. It hasn’t pushed back. It hasn’t enforced any red lines.”
Omar Rahman
“So I think the US is as much to blame for what’s happened as Israel itself,” he added.
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