LInks to Iran. LInks to Iran. He was one of the best known he was one of the best known and most InfluentIal fIgures In the MIddle East. Born In 1960, Hassan Nasrallah grew up In beIrut s Eastern Bourj Hammoud neIghbourhood. He became leader of hezbollah In 1992, at the age of 32, after hIs predecessor was assassInated. He played a Key Role In turnIng hezbollah Into a powerful polItIcal and mIlItary force. Under hIs leadershIp, he helped hezbollah TraIn Hundreds of fIghters from the palestInIan MIlItant Group hamas. And he also obtaIned mIssIles and rockets from Iran for use agaInst Israel. Lets speak to anna foster, our mIddle East Correspondent In beIrut. Talk us through exactly what we know about what happened there. ThIs Is a really crucIal moment now. Last nIght, about 6 20pm here In beIrut, we had thIs huge serIes of explosIons a few kIlometres from where I am now In dahIeh, In the Southern Suburbs, a hezbollah stronghold. We saw pIctures quIckly of absolute destructIon comIng ou
Hospitals have been inundated with those injured and they are very traumatised Health Workers and Front Line workers. But we are flying in emergency medical supplies, we have flown in 100 medical tonnes last weekend and this week, but it is difficult to find those aircraft to come in and deliver the goods. We are doing what we can with what we have on the ground but time is of the essence given the magnitude of the crisis and the level of injuries we are dealing with, and facilities, and trying to get clean Drinking Water to people to survive. You mentioned people are sleeping in their cars but they are on the Streets and in they are on the Streets and in the beach, they are taking shelter under bridges. It is a really catastrophic situation this morning and we can still see where the bombings have taken place all throughout the night and have continued this morning. In terms of logistics, what we have been witnessing in gaza, well aware of the difficulties and struggles of moving age
A hezbollah stronghold. The Israel Defense forces said it targeted locations including Weapons Production facilities and storage sites that, it said, were under civilian housing. Simonjones has the latest. Explosions, screaming. New strikes overnight on Southern Beirut. Israels military said it was targeting buildings storing hezbollah weapons underneath them. Hezbollah denied they were arms depots. Explosions. Earlier, a series of massive explosions. It is thought the target here was the hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. It is unclear whether he was in any of the buildings that were hit. Iran, which backs hezbollah, has called the attack a dangerous, game changing escalation. In the aftermath of the blasts, Bbc Correspondent Hugo bachega on the ground in Southern Beirut faced hostility from angry crowds. This is one of the roads leading to dahieh. We tried to get out of the car but we were stopped by a group of men. There is chaos, there is tension, we have seen crowds gathered by th
Hassan nasrallah had been Secretary General of hezbollah for 32 years, overseeing its growth into the worlds most heavily armed non state army. He was born in lebanon in 1960, growing up in beirut s eastern bourj hammoud district. He took over the leadership in 1992 when his predecessor was assassinated by israel. To thousands, maybe millions of Shia Muslims in lebanon and beyond, he was a hero. To israel, he was a wanted terrorist. Armed with up to the minute intelligence, the israeli Air Force targeted the underground bunker where hezbollah s leadership was meeting. This is both a major escalation and a challenge to iran. Translation this is not | the limit of our capabilities. We must be very clear, there are more tools at our disposal and the message is simple anyone who threatens the state of israel will be reached, whether in the north, the south or even a more distant places. Or even in more distant places. Hezbollah s power has been seriously weakened by the recent assassinatio