Israel confirms killing Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah's successor Hashem Safieddine
The army in Israel has confirmed the death of Hashem Safieddine, a top-ranking Hezbollah official and possible successor to Hassan Nasrallah. The confirmation comes three weeks after an airstrike targeted Hezbollah's main intelligence headquarters in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut with a strong Hezbollah presence. Along with Safieddine, Ali Hussein Hazima, head of Hezbollah's Intelligence Directorate, and other commanders were also killed in the strike.
Airstrike targeted Hezbollah's main intelligence headquarters
The Israeli military said that more than 25 militants were present when the airstrike took place, including Bilal Saib Aish, who was in charge of aerial intelligence gathering. This confirmation comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's October 8 address where he said key figures had been "taken out" without naming Safieddine specifically. Israeli army chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said on Tuesday they had reached "Nasrallah, his replacement and most of Hezbollah's senior leadership."
Conflict intensifies following year of war with Hamas
The Israel-Hezbollah conflict has intensified after almost a year of war with Hamas in Gaza. Israel turned its attention to Lebanon in late September after Hezbollah's cross-border fire. Since September 23, the conflict has claimed at least 1,552 lives, according to Lebanese health ministry figures. Amid the rising violence, Israel has intensified airstrikes on Hezbollah strongholds and issued evacuation warnings for residents in southern Beirut suburbs.
Hezbollah continues rocket launches into Israel
Despite the airstrikes and evacuation warnings, Hezbollah continues to fire rockets and missiles into Israel. The Israeli military said around 140 projectiles crossed from Lebanon into Israel on Tuesday alone. However, there has been no statement from Hezbollah on the claim of Safieddine's death or the ongoing conflict.
