Hassan Nasrallah, full name Hassan Abdul Karim Nasrallah, was born on August 31, 1960, to a Shiite family in Burj Hammoud, a northern suburb of Beirut.
He is the ninth child in a Lebanese family, with three brothers and five sisters. He is commonly known as “Sayyid” and “Abu Hadi.”
From a young age, Hassan Nasrallah showed a keen interest in studying religious principles. He completed his education at the Tyre Official School for Boys, where he joined the Shiite Amal Movement.
Later, he pursued his studies in Najaf, Iran, focusing on Islamic studies at the Hawza Seminary. During his time there, he met Abbas al-Musawi, who later founded Hezbollah.
Nasrallah returned to Lebanon in 1979 after completing the first stage of his studies. He continued his religious education at the Hawza Seminary in Baalbek, which followed the teachings of Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr, the founder of the Dawa Movement in Najaf during the 1960s.
Hassan Nasrallah is married to Fatima Yassin, who hails from the village of Al-Abbasiya.
They have five children: Muhammad Jawad, Zainab, Muhammad Ali, and Muhammad Mahdi. His eldest son, Muhammad Hadi, was killed in a battle with Israeli soldiers in September 1997 in the Jabal al-Rafi’i area.
The Journey to Hezbollah
Nasrallah later became the representative of the Amal Movement in the Bekaa region and a member of its central political bureau.
However, following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, the Amal Movement experienced a split, resulting in two factions: one led by Nabih Berri and the other opposition faction led by Abbas al-Musawi.
As a result of this division, Hezbollah emerged, and Nasrallah, at the age of 22, participated in its founding. His role involved mobilization efforts and the formation of military cells.
Nasrallah later assumed the position of Deputy Head of the Beirut region, then became the head of the region, eventually rising to become the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Shura Council, the highest leadership body within Hezbollah.
In 1989, he left Beirut for Qom, Iran, where he continued his religious studies. He returned in 1991 after the armed conflicts between Hezbollah and the Amal Movement. Abbas al-Musawi was elected Secretary-General of the party, with Naim Qassem as his deputy, while Nasrallah resumed his previous position.
On February 16, 1992, Nasrallah was elected Secretary-General of Hezbollah, succeeding Abbas al-Musawi, who had been assassinated by Israel.
War with Israel
Since 1993, Israel entered into conflict with Hezbollah, which responded by launching rockets at northern Israel before a ceasefire agreement was reached.
In April 1996, Israel launched Operation “Grapes of Wrath,” which lasted for 16 days and ended with a ceasefire.
In 2000, then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak withdrew all Israeli forces from Lebanon, which significantly increased Nasrallah’s popularity.
In 2004, Nasrallah played a crucial role in prisoner exchange operations between Hezbollah and Israel, leading to the release of hundreds of Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners, as well as the return of many bodies, including that of his son, Hadi Nasrallah, who he lost in 1997.
The July 2006 War began when Hezbollah carried out a military operation called “Operation Truthful Promise,” during which three Israeli soldiers were killed and two were captured.
In response, Israel launched heavy bombardments across most areas of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, particularly targeting the southern suburb, which is considered Hezbollah’s stronghold.
On August 3, 2006, Nasrallah promised to strike Tel Aviv in retaliation for the Israeli bombardment of Beirut.
Growing popularity
Nasrallah’s popularity in the Arab world increased following the end of the war with Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
As a result, Israel declared Nasrallah a target for assassination, leading to his disappearance from public view since 2006.
His appearances have been limited to recorded video messages.
Nasrallah lost part of his popularity in the Arab world after announcing on May 25, 2013, that Hezbollah was participating in the events in Syria.
Ties with Iran
Nasrallah is an eloquent speaker who has maintained leadership of Hezbollah since 1992, drawing strength from his unwavering loyalty to Iran, which has provided him with unlimited political, financial, and military support.
Hezbollah is estimated to have around 100,000 fighters equipped with a vast arsenal of weapons, including rockets, drones, and various types of weapons, transforming Hezbollah into a state within a state.
Nasrallah announced Hezbollah’s participation in the Al-Aqsa Flood operation launched by the Palestinian resistance on October 7, 2023, the day after the operation began, with bombardments targeting border areas in northern Israel.
On Friday, Nasrallah was subjected to intense Israeli shelling at a Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut, marking the latest in a series of escalating strikes over the past 10 days that have shaken the Lebanese group he has led for 32 years, resulting in his death along with several party leaders.
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