Hezbollah leader Nasrallah’s grandson reportedly killed in Israeli airstrike

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s grandson was reportedly killed over the weekend during an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon.

The Iran-backed group announced that Abbas Ahmed Khalil was one of the militants killed “on the road to Jerusalem,” which is a phrase Hezbollah has been using to describe those killed by Israeli strikes since the start of the Gaza war.

Hours after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the beginning of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, Hezbollah announced the start of its attacks on Israel until a ceasefire was reached.

Israeli reports, citing a Syrian opposition media outlet, said Khalil was one of three Hezbollah militants killed in southern Lebanon over the weekend.

 Nasrallah’s son, Hadi, was killed during clashes with Israel in 1997. Hassan Nasrallah said he was proud that his son was “martyred” at the time and vowed to continue fighting Israel.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in the most intense cross-border clashes since an all-out war in July 2006 following Hezbollah’s kidnapping of Israeli soldiers.

President Joe Biden has tasked US envoy Amos Hochstein to find a solution to the clashes, with Washington warning that any war between the two would not be contained to the two countries.

Israel wants Hezbollah’s weapons and fighters to pull away from the border, while Hezbollah has said a ceasefire in Gaza would put an end to their attacks.