World Briefing: September 28, 2024

Hezbollah has confirmed the death of its leader Hassan Nasrallah after Israeli strikes on Beirut. Nasrallah, who had not been seen in public for years because of fears of being assassinated by Israel, was one of the best known and most influential figures in the Middle East. His death will be viewed in Israel as a huge victory, but some supporters in Beirut say they are in shock with one woman telling the BBC: "I wish they killed us all and kept him.” Israel says it is continuing to launch strikes on targets in Lebanon, while Hezbollah also reported firing rockets into Israel. Israel's military also says it intercepted a missile fired from the Houthis in Yemen, as air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv. Lebanese officials say 11 people were killed and 108 injured in strikes on Friday in Beirut, with local officials saying that nearly 800 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon since Monday - BBC

Israeli leaders had been aware of Hassan Nasrallah’s whereabouts for months and decided to strike him this past week because they believed they had only a short window of opportunity before the Hezbollah leader would disappear to a different location, according to three senior Israeli defense officials. Two of the officials said that more than 80 bombs were dropped over a period of several minutes to kill him. They did not confirm the weight or make of the bombs. The operation had been planned since earlier in the week, as Israeli political leaders spoke with their American counterparts about the possibility of a cease-fire in Lebanon, and before Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, left Israel to give a speech at the United Nations, according to two of the officials. All three officials said that Hashem Safieddine, a cousin of Mr. Nasrallah who is a key player in the movement’s political and social work, was one of the few remaining senior Hezbollah leaders not present at the site of the strike. They said that Mr. Safieddine, who has long been considered a potential successor to Mr. Nasrallah, could be announced shortly as Hezbollah’s new secretary-general. - NYT

It has been a harrowing night for civilians in Beirut — getting out amid earthshaking explosions, looking in vain for space in one of the overflowing schools-turned-shelters. By the morning, hundreds of families were sleeping in public squares, on beaches or in cars around Beirut. Lines of people trudged up to the mountains above the Lebanese capital, holding infants and a few belongings. The people escaping Friday night’s mayhem joined tens of thousands who have fled to Beirut and other areas of southern Lebanon the past week to escape Israel’s bombardment. For many residents of Dahiyeh, the forced evacuation was disconcertingly familiar. Some were Lebanese who had lived through the bruising monthlong war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, when Israel leveled large parts of the Beirut suburbs. Others were Syrians who had taken refuge from the long civil war in their own country. - AP

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke twice with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant on Friday about events in Lebanon, according to a statement by the Pentagon. The statement added that Austin "expressed full support for Israel's right to defend itself and its people against Iranian backed terrorist groups," and stressed that the United States is "determined to prevent Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict." Austin also made it clear that "the United States remains postured to protect U.S. forces and facilities in the region and committed to the defense of Israel," according to the statement. - Haaretz

Many states in the EU, including Spain, Portugal and Italy, are warning their last remaining nationals to leave Lebanon immediately, if they have not already done so. And just hours after Israel killed Hezbollah's leader in Lebanon the EU has also warned airlines not to fly over either country. In a a statement, The European Commission and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued recommendations to avoid Lebanese and Israeli airspaces on all flight levels. The recommendation is valid until 31 October. The EASA warned of "an overall intensification of air strikes and degradation in the security situation." - Euronews

Hundreds of thousands of migrants who have used charter planes since 2022 to reach the U.S., according to immigration analysts. These migrants are flying into Nicaragua and, from there, making their way north. The Biden administration accuses these charter companies of collaborating with global human smuggling networks and is taking steps to clamp down on them and their executives. “These charter companies are working with criminal organizations. Often, they are part of criminal organizations,” says Blas Nuñez-Neto, deputy assistant to President Biden and senior advisor for migration and southwest border coordination. He says some migrants pay as much as $70,000 for the journey from their home country to the U.S., with a large portion of the money going to charter companies. - NPR

Around 60 women have now come forward to allege they were sexually abused by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, lawyers representing them said on Friday. A BBC documentary last week aired claims by women that Fayed, who died last year aged 94, raped and sexually abused them during his ownership of the luxury department store. The accusations make the Egyptian billionaire the latest high-profile figure to join a list of rich and powerful men, such as Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, disgraced by sexual abuse allegations. - France 24

Several buildings of state and public institutions have been vandalized over the past two days in Moldova's capital, Chisinau, with police voicing suspicion that Russia is behind the incidents. Moldova is holding a presidential election and a referendum on joining the European Union next month -- two crucial votes that could cement the former Soviet republic's path to the West. Early on September 28, the Moldovan public radio and television building and the Supreme Court building were spray-painted, police said, adding that they had identified a circle of suspects. - RFE/RL

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