Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, was killed in a heavy Israeli airstrike in Lebanon, joining a list of prominent casualties of Israeli enemies since the Zionist regime launched its year-long military campaign that has so far killed 50,000 people in Gaza.

In a statement confirming his death, Hezbollah, the influential pro-Iranian political movement in Lebanon, vowed to continue its resistance against Israel.

"The leadership of Hezbollah pledges to the most exalted, sacred, and beloved martyr on our path, filled with sacrifices and martyrs, that we will continue our jihad against the enemy, in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defense of Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people.

"To the honorable mujahideen and the triumphant heroes of the Islamic resistance: You are the trust of the martyred leader, and you are his brothers who were his strong shield, the crown jewel of bravery and sacrifice," it said.

Nasrallah's death came as Israeli forces carried out its biggest air strikes in the Lebanese capital Beirut, not long after a wave of sophisticated attacks in which some 5,000 booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies exploded, killing and maiming hundreds of civilians in public places, including some Hezbollah members.

Since Monday, Israeli fighter jets have attacked residential areas in Lebanon, killing nearly 1,000 people, mostly civilians.

Nasrallah, who turned 64 on Aug 31, was the highest-ranking person targeted by the Zionist regime after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in late July during a visit to Iran in an attack welcomed by Israel and its allies.

He became secretary-general of Hezbollah in 1992, seven years after the movement was founded in response to the Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon in 1982.

Under Nasrallah's leadership, Hezbollah rose to become the biggest challenge to Israeli military power in the Middle East, which Western governments believe was due to decades of Iranian arms supplies and training.

During Nasrallah's tenure, the movement gained increasing popularity among both the Muslim and Christian communities in Lebanon, where Hezbollah's political wing currently holds 15 seats in parliament.

He led Hezbollah forces in the 34-day conflict with Israeli forces in 2006, which ended with Israel being forced to accept the terms of a UN-brokered ceasefire, further boosting the movement's popularity among ordinary Lebanese.

Hezbollah under Nasrallah also played an important role in the defeat of the extremist Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (IS) group, which had failed in its aim to overthrow the Syrian government under Bashar al-Assad, another of Israel's main enemies.