Beirut blitzed

Hezbollah chief confirmed dead in Israeli airstrikes

- SIMON MURPHY

THE killing of Hezbollah's chief in devastating Israeli airstrikes on Beirut was confirmed yesterday.

The militant group admitted Hassan Nasrallah had "joined his fellow martyrs" and vowed to "continue the holy war in support of Palestine".

As more airstrikes blitzed Beirut yesterday, the Israeli military said it carried out a precise bombing on Friday while Hezbollah's leadership met at its HQ in the Dahiyeh suburb.

President Joe Biden described 64-year-old Nasrallah's death as a "measure of justice for his many victims”. He stressed that the US "fully supports" Israel's right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis and "any other Iranian-supported terrorist group". And he said he has directed the Pentagon to enhance the "defence posture" of US forces in the Middle East to "deter aggression".