Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has confirmed the death of its leader Hassan Nasrallah, following Israeli airstrike on southern Beirut on Friday.

The group stated in an announcement that it would continue its fight against Israel “in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defence of Lebanon and its steadfast and honourable people,” Reuters reported.

Earlier in the day, Israel announced that it had targeted and killed Nasrallah.

“Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the terrorist organization Hezbollah and one of its founders, has been eliminated by the IDF, along with Ali Karaki, commander of Hezbollah's Southern Front, and other Hezbollah commanders,” said the statement from the Israel Defense Forces.

Last week, Israel attacked the Lebanese capital. The Israeli military (IDF) continued its attacks on Beirut last night, targeting what it claimed were Hezbollah rocket storage facilities. CNN teams witnessed massive explosions resonating through the capital.

Israeli Air Force planes “carried out a targeted strike on Hezbollah's central headquarters, which was located underground beneath a residential building in the Dahiyeh area of Beirut,” the Israeli military said. “The strike was carried out while Hezbollah's senior command chain that was operating from the headquarters, advancing terrorist activities against the citizens of the State of Israel.”

Nasrallah has transformed Hezbollah into one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the Middle East.

One of the founders of the group formed four decades ago with Iran’s assistance, Nasrallah rose to the top of Hezbollah in 1992. He succeeded his predecessor and mentor, Abbas Musawi, as Secretary General after Musawi was killed in an Israeli helicopter attack.

When Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, Nasrallah gathered a group of fighters to resist the occupation – a group that would eventually evolve into Hezbollah.