West Asia crisis: ‘Blunt trauma, suffocation,’ conspiracy theories emerge around Nasrallah’s death

New details have emerged regarding the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on September27 in an Israeli strikeon Beirut. Israeli news outlet Channel 12 has reported that the explosion itself didn’t kill Nasrallah but the 64-year-old militant most likely suffered asphyxiation as toxic gases leaked into his secret chamber.

Israel reportedly targeted the secret hideout of Nasrallah using 80 tonnes of “bunker-busting” bombs. The attack came as Nasrallah prepared to hold a meeting with senior Hezbollah leadership at the headquarters of the Lebanon-based militant group.

The strike was executed by Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets at the group’s underground Central Headquarters, reportedly located beneath a residential building in the Dahieh area of Beirut.

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According to media reports, Lebanese officials recovered Nasrallah’s dead body with no visible wound marks after the IDF strikes.

This indicates that he may have died of toxic gases in the room as the headquarters building came crashing down.

A security official, meanwhile, claimed that Nasrallah may have died of blunt trauma and not due to toxic gases.

Even as several conspiracy theories emerge in media and social media, the militant group has maintained a silence over the issue, while vowing strong retaliation against Israeli aggression.

United States President Joe Biden was quick to call Nasrallah’s death a “measure of justice”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who apparently green-lighted the strikes from New York, called the operation as necessary and a potential “historic turning point” in the region.

Nasrallah had been leading Hezbollah for over three decades, playing a key role since the 2006 Lebanon War against Israel. He was also involved in regional politics, supporting the Assad regime in Syria during the Syrian Civil War.

Nasrallah oversaw Hezbollah’s transformation from a guerrilla group focused on resisting Israeli occupation into a significant political player in Lebanon.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes the utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq, and non-state actors like the Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.