Now 64 years old, Hassan Nasrallah has been at the helm of Hezbollah since February 1992. Rarely seen in public, he has transformed Hezbollah into a formidable military and political force, often appearing like a ghostly figure. His prominence as a hero in the Arab world comes with the heavy burden of being marked for death, especially after Israel bombed Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut.

Nasrallah's journey began as a 16-year-old boy from a modest background, the son of a vegetable vendor, who caught the attention of Abbas al-Musawi, the future leader of Hezbollah. Under Musawi’s mentorship, Nasrallah formed a deep bond and eventually succeeded him after Musawi was killed in a helicopter attack. At just 32, Nasrallah surprised Israeli military agencies by transforming Hezbollah into a more powerful and lethal organization than Musawi had envisioned. Under his leadership, Hezbollah not only grew stronger but also became an integral part of Lebanon's government.

Since the 2006 war with Israel, Nasrallah has largely lived in hiding, primarily communicating through large-screen speeches. On September 19, he addressed the public regarding the recent pager explosions in Lebanon, describing them as Israel's declaration of war. Aside from this, he is mostly seen in photographs with leaders of the ‘Axis of Resistance’ backed by Shia Iran.

In a 2014 interview with a Lebanese newspaper, Nasrallah dismissed rumors that he was isolated in a bunker, asserting that while security measures were necessary, they did not sever his connections with allies. This secrecy has allowed one of Israel’s greatest adversaries to survive for decades. However, Israel has recently dealt a significant blow to Hezbollah by eliminating many of its top leaders.

Reports indicate that during a recent Israeli strike targeting Hezbollah’s central headquarters in Beirut, Nasrallah was present in a bunker. There have been no confirmed updates on his condition, but a close source claimed he is “fine,” denying he was the intended target of the Israeli military action.

Born on August 31, 1960, in the impoverished northern suburb of Burj Hammud in Beirut, Nasrallah is one of nine siblings from a family that struggled to make ends meet. He has been married to Fatima Yassin and they have four surviving children. His eldest son, Hadi, a Hezbollah fighter, was killed by Israeli soldiers in 1997, an event that deeply affected him.

Nasrallah's political journey began when he studied religious sciences in Iraq but was expelled in 1978 during Saddam Hussein's crackdown on Shia activists. It was here he met his mentor, Abbas al-Musawi. Hezbollah was founded in June 1982 in response to Israel's invasion of Lebanon following attacks by the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Before taking over Hezbollah, Nasrallah gained experience with the Lebanese Resistance Regiments, also known as the Amal Movement.

Widely regarded as a gifted orator, Nasrallah has become a central figure in the ongoing conflict with Israel, commanding respect and fear in equal measure across the Middle East.