'Genocide, cowardly act,' Hezbollah allies Houthis, Hamas, Iraq fume over Nasrallah's killing

Palestinian militant groupHamas on Saturday (Sep 28)condemned the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah following Israelistrikes on Beirut.

"We condemn in the strongest terms this barbaric Zionist aggression and targeting of residential buildings... and we consider it a cowardly terrorist act," the Gaza-based group said in a statement. It added,"condolences, and solidarity with the brothers in Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon on the martyrdom of... Nasrallah."

Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based militant group, earlier confirmed the death of its leader andpledgedto continue its fight against Israel and the defence of Lebanon.

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Nasrallah was reportedly at Hezbollah’s main underground headquarters in the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out its massive strikes.

"Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of Hezbollah, has joined his great, immortal martyr comrades whom he led for about 30 years," the Lebanon-based militant groupsaid in a statement.

Iraq declares three days of mourning

IraqPrime Minister Muhammad Shia' al-Sudani said Saturday his country will observe athree-day period of national mourning over the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah.

In a statement, the prime minister's office said the mourning is in honour of the “martyrdom” of Nasrallah and his companions killed by Israel.

France calls for stabilisation

France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said that it was working to prevent any destabilisation and conflagration “following the confirmation of the assassination of Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah”.

Paris is alsoin touch with the Lebanese authorities and France’spartners in the region, the ministry added.It also stressed that the security and protection of civilians must be guaranteed.

Turkey condemns 'genocide'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Israel is committing a “genocide” in Lebanon.

“Lebanon and the Lebanese people are the latest target of a policy of genocide, occupation, and invasion carried out by Israel since October 7,” Erdogan wrote on X.

Iran president dubs Israeli strikesas 'terrorist attack'

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the death of Hezbollah chief“will only further strengthen the resistance”.

He claimed that the international community will not forget that the order for this “terrorist attack” was issued from New York, likely referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)on Friday.

The Iranian president added thatthe United States cannot deny complicity in Nasrallah’s killing.

Meanwhile,Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared five days of public mourning for the deadHezbollah chief.

"I... offer my condolences for the martyrdom of the great Nasrallah and his martyred companions and announce five days of public mourning in Islamic Iran," Khamenei said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

Yemen-based Houthis vow to 'achieve victory'

Yemen-based, Iran-backed militant group Houthis said the death ofNasrallahwill only "increase the flame of sacrifice".

“The martyrdom of … Hassan Nasrallah will increase the flame of sacrifice, the heat of enthusiasm, the strength of resolve,” the Houthis said in a statement, promising to achieve “victory and the demise of the Israeli enemy”.

Russia calls for ceasefire

Russia, on Saturday, strongly condemned Israel for killing Hezbollah chief and urged it to immediately cease military action in Lebanon.

"We decisively condemn the latest political murder carried out by Israel," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement, adding: "we once again insistently urge Israel to immediately cease military action."

(With inputs from agencies)

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