Who was Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader killed by Israeli airstrike? – National [Video]

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, whose death was announced on Saturday, led the Lebanese group through decades of conflict with Israel, overseeing its transformation into a military force with regional sway and becoming one of the most prominent Arab figures in generations — with Iranian backing.

Hezbollah said in a statement that Nasrallah had been killed, but it did not say how. The Israeli military said earlier it had killed Nasrallah in an airstrike on the group’s central headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday.

Nasrallah’s death deals a huge blow to the group. He will be remembered among his supporters for standing up to Israel and defying the United States. To enemies, he was head of a terrorist organization and a proxy for Iran’s Shi’ite Islamist theocracy in its tussle for influence in the Middle East.

His regional influence was on display over nearly a year of conflict ignited …