ISLAMABAD: Thousands of people protested in Pakistan cities after Hezbollah confirmed that its longtime chief had been killed by an Israeli air strike in Lebanon.

People gathered in Islamabad and in Karachi during rallies and funeral prayers for Nasrallah.

Hezbollah said that Hassan Nasrallah was killed in strike on Beirut's southern suburbs day earlier, dealing massive blow to group he had led for decades.

"We stand against what Israel is doing in Palestine and Lebanon, this is why we are here today," 27-year-old Taskeen Zafar said during rally in Islamabad. Killing of Nasrallah marked sharp escalation in nearly year of cross-border fire between Hezbollah and Israel and risks plunging wider region into war.

Nearly year later, Israel announced shift in focus to battling Hezbollah on its northern front. Hamas's October 7 attack resulted in deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures that include hostages killed in captivity.

Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,595 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures from Gaza health ministry. UN has described figures as reliable.

Published in The Daily National Courier, September, 30 2024

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