September 28, 2024 Press Release WASHINGTON, DC - Ccongressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today after Israel eliminated Hezbollah's leader, Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, through an IDF airstrike: "This morning brought confirmation that Israel has eliminated Hezbollah's leader, Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, with an IDF airstrike. Nasrallah has menaced Israel for more than two decades, waging a deadly terror campaign against our ally. The operation's success means Israel, the region, and the world are safer now that Nasrallah is dead. He finally met justice for the numerous Israelis, Americans, Lebanese, Syrians, and others whose blood stained his hands. "The operation was a response not only to Nasrallah's decades of terror but also to Hezbollah's recent repeated attacks on undisputed Israeli territory. Since October 8, 2023, Hezbollah terrorists have launched nearly 10,000 rockets at Israeli civilians. More than 60,000 people in Northern Israel have fled their homes to escape Hezbollah's violence, unable to return for months on end. "Israel has the right to defend itself, as does every other sovereign nation. Israel's strikes against Hezbollah's leadership, launch sites, and missile arsenal – especially its long-range rockets – are vital to dismantling the terrorist organization's ability to carry out further attacks against the Israeli people on behalf of Iran. "The world cannot allow Iran to rebuild its proxy network on Israel's doorstep. Israelis, Lebanese, Syrians, and others in the region deserve to live free from Hezbollah's interference, and the displaced ought to be able to return home. Hezbollah must not be allowed to return to the northern border, and Hamas must never reassert control over Gaza. This war will not end until these Iranian-backed terrorists are defeated. The United States stands firmly with our ally Israel in that effort."