Hassan Nasrallah killed: Hamas says ‘assassination’ will only strengthen resistance; Iran says Hezbollah leader’s ‘path to continue’

Hamas vows to continue resistance against Israel after Hezbollah leader's assassination, sparking regional tensions and mourning.

Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Saturday (September 28, 2024) it mourned Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah following his killing in an Israeli airstrike, saying his death would only fuel the fight against Israel.

"Crimes and assassination by the occupation will only increase the determination and the insistence of the resistance in Palestine and Lebanon to go forward with all their might, bravery and pride on the footsteps of the martyrs...and pursue the path of resistance until victory and the dismissal of the occupation," Hamas said in a statement.

His death marks a heavy blow to Hezbollah as it reels from an escalating campaign of Israeli attacks. It is also a huge blow to Iran, given the major role he has played in the Tehran-backed regional “Axis of Resistance.”

Israeli airstrikes LIVE updates: Hezbollah confirms leader Nasrallah killed; vows to continue battle

The 'Axis of Resistance' refers to groups including Hezbollah that are backed by Iran and have been waging attacks on Israel since war erupted between their ally Hamas and Israel on October 7.

"We reaffirm our absolute solidarity and standing with the brothers in Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, who are taking part in the battle of the Al-Aqsa Flood to defend Al-Aqsa mosque, alongside our people and our resistance," Hamas added.

Islamic Jihad, another Iranian-backed Palestinian group, said in a statement: "Sooner or later, the resistance forces in Lebanon, Palestine, and the region will make the enemy pay the price of its crimes, and taste defeat for what its sinful hands have done."