Reuters could not immediately reach Hezbollah officials for comment on the Israeli army statement.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah has yet to issue any statement on the status of Nasrallah, who has led the group for 32 years.

During Nasrallah’s decades in charge, Hezbollah has grown into a regional force that has projected Tehran’s influence across the Middle East.

His death would not only mark an enormous blow to Hezbollah, but also to Iran, whose Revolutionary Guards founded the group in 1982.

The Israeli military “eliminated … Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation”, Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee wrote in a statement on X.

Another top Hezbollah leader – Ali Karaki – was also killed, he added.

“Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world,” the Israeli military said in a separate post.

Yesterday’s attack on Hezbollah’s command centre, followed by further air strikes today, have escalated the conflict between Israel and the heavily armed group, adding to concerns the region could be sucked into a broader war.

Adraee’s statement, posted in Arabic, said Israel had struck Hezbollah’s underground headquarters while its leadership were “coordinating terrorist activities against the citizens of Israel”.

Late yesterday, a source close to Hezbollah told Reuters that Nasrallah was not reachable.

In the first hours after yesterday’s strike, a source close to Hezbollah told Reuters that Nasrallah was alive.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency also reported he was safe.

A senior Iranian security official told Reuters that Tehran was checking his status.

Israel followed up on yesterday’s attack with a new wave of air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and other areas of Lebanon today.