The killing of Hassan Nasrallah marks the end of an era for Hezbollah

Israel dealt Hezbollah a seismic blow when it assassinated Hassan Nasrallah on September 27 in a massive airstrike. File | Photo credit: AFP

Killing him Hezbollahhis strong leader Hassan Nasrallah it marked a fundamental shift for the Iranian-backed Lebanese movement and revived calls for it to surrender its vast arsenal of weapons.

“Nasrallah’s death marked the end of an era,” said analyst Sam Heller of the US-based Century Foundation think tank. After decades at the helm, his death “will necessarily mark a change for the organization,” he added.

Nasrallah’s influence extended beyond his loyal Shiite Muslim support base in Lebanon. He was a key pillar in Iran’s “axis of resistance” against the US and Israel, which includes other armed groups in the Middle East and Syria.

Israel dealt Hezbollah a seismic blow when it assassinated Nasrallah on September 27 in a massive airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut that pushed the movement into a new era.

Hezbollah has already been locked in a year of cross-border firefights with Israel, which it began in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas after the October 7, 2023, attack.

Last month, Israel stepped up strikes on Hezbollah strongholds and sent in ground forces as it killed one member of the group’s top leadership after another.

Nasrallah, who has led the group since 1992, has led operations against Israel for decades and gained cult status among his supporters during the 2006 war.

According to Mr. Heller, “he was the most important decision-maker in the organization as it became prominent in Lebanon and regionally.”

The Shura Council that runs the group has not yet named a successor. Hashem Safieddine, a cleric slated for the post, was killed by Israel just days after Nasrallah. Hezbollah is now run by a group of leaders, according to its deputy director, Naim Qassem.

Lebanese officials, including Prime Minister Najib Mikati, said their contact with the group had been cut off for weeks.

Nabih Berri, the speaker of the Lebanese parliament, is tasked with speaking on behalf of the group, Mr. Qassem said recently.

Mr Berri is believed to be pushing for a ceasefire, according to local media reports. Hezbollah has long linked a cease-fire in Lebanon to an end to fighting in Gaza, a position it has yet to formally reverse.

Even with the group appearing on the back foot, its fighters continue to fire dozens of rockets into Israel daily.

This week, Hezbollah claimed a drone strike on the home of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the coastal city of Caesarea. The group says Israeli forces have failed to take full control of any villages in Lebanon, weeks after a ground invasion.

Israeli forces operating in Lebanon “are facing very fierce resistance and are being forced to retreat under heavy blows,” a source close to Hezbollah said.

Hezbollah, he said, has the advantage because it is fighting on its own turf, knowing behind which “trees and rocks” to hide.

“A war cannot end…”

Hezbollah is believed to be better armed than Lebanon’s national army and remains the only group not to surrender its weapons after the 1975-1990 civil war.

After years of dominating political life in Lebanon, Hezbollah is facing renewed calls from its critics in the country to change.

Lebanese computer engineer Elie Jabbour said he believes the only way forward is for Hezbollah to give up its weapons.

“The war cannot end until Hezbollah is disarmed,” he said.