The body of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on southern Beirut, has been recovered, a source close to the movement confirmed to AFP on Sunday.
The airstrike, which occurred on Friday, also resulted in the death of Ali Karake, Hezbollah’s top commander in southern Lebanon, according to a statement from the group.
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However, Hezbollah has not yet disclosed the identities of others killed alongside Nasrallah and Karake.
Both a medical and a security source reported that Nasrallah’s body was found intact at the site of the Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
In a related development, the Israeli military announced on Sunday that it had also killed Nabil Kaouk, a longtime Hezbollah leader, during a series of retaliatory strikes.
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Kaouk, a prominent figure in the organization since the 1980s, had previously served as the deputy director general of Hezbollah’s operations in southern Lebanon.
The source added that Nasrallah’s body was recovered on Saturday and was prepared for burial on Sunday after being washed and shrouded according to tradition.
The funeral arrangements have yet to be finalized.
Before his death, Nasrallah was regarded as one of the most influential figures in Lebanon.
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He had led the Iran-backed Hezbollah for over three decades, firmly positioning the group as Israel’s most formidable adversary in the region.
The Israeli military further revealed that “more than 20 other terrorists of varying ranks” were killed in the same airstrike that targeted Hezbollah’s stronghold in southern Beirut.
