Netanyahu: I ordered killing of Nasrallah because he was rebuilding Hezbollah’s capabilities

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, has described the targeted killing of Hassan Nasrallah, secretary-general and leader of Hezbollah, as a settling of scores with an “arch-murderer”.

On Friday, Israeli military announced that it had killed Nasrallah in an air strike.

The group said its leader “has joined his fellow martyrs”, adding that it would “continue the holy war against the enemy and in support of Palestine”.

Among the victims of Friday’s air strike was Abbas Nilforoushan, the Iranian deputy commander for operations of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Addressing the media on the development, Netanyahu said Nasrallah “was not just another terrorist, he was the terrorist”.

Netanyahu said the Hezbollah leader was a “turbocharger for the axis of evil created by Iran”.

He alleged that Nasrallah was guilty of the murder of countless Israelis, hundreds of US citizens and dozens of French nationals.

“As long as Nasrallah was alive, he would have quickly rebuilt the capabilities we took from Hezbollah,” he said.

“Therefore, I gave the directive — and Nasrallah is no longer with us.”

Netanyahu said Nasrallah’s elimination was a step forward in the drive to return Israelis — who had been forced to flee their homes because of Hezbollah’s bombardment — to the north of the country.

The prime minister also warned Iran against any attack on Israel.

“And to the Ayatollahs’ regime I say: Those who strike us, we strike them,” Netanyahu said.

“There is no place in Iran or the Middle East that the long arm of Israel cannot reach.”

After Nasrallah’s killing, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, declared five days of mourning in the country.