Israel confirms killing Hashem Safieddine, potential successor of slain Hezbollah chief Nasrallah

Israel's military confirmed on Tuesday the killing of Hezbollah鈥檚 Hashem Safieddine. (AFP/File)
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  • The Israeli army also confirmed the killing of Ali Hussein Hazima, the head of Hezbollah鈥檚 Intelligence Directorate

JERUSALEM: Israel鈥檚 army confirmed Tuesday it 鈥渆liminated鈥� Hezbollah鈥檚 Hashem Safieddine, apparent successor of slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, in a strike in a southern Beirut suburb three weeks ago.
鈥淚t can now be confirmed that in an attack approximately three weeks ago, Hashem Safieddine, the head of Hezbollah鈥檚 Executive Council, and Ali Hussein Hazima, the head of Hezbollah鈥檚 Intelligence Directorate, were killed along with other Hezbollah commanders,鈥� the army said in a statement.
Hezbollah has not yet issued a statement regarding the claim.
On October 8, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the military has 鈥渢aken out鈥� Safieddine, without specifically naming him.
In an address to the people of Lebanon, Netanyahu said Israeli forces 鈥渢ook out thousands of terrorists, including (Hezbollah leader Hassan) Nasrallah himself and Nasrallah鈥檚 replacement and the replacement of his replacement.鈥�
Late on Tuesday, the army said that Israel鈥檚 air force 鈥渃onducted a precise, intelligence-based strike on Hezbollah鈥檚 main intelligence headquarters,鈥� in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, Hezbollah鈥檚 stronghold in the Lebanese capital three weeks ago.
The statement added that over 25 Hezbollah militants were present in the headquarters during the strike, 鈥渋ncluding Bilal Saib Aish, who was in charge of aerial intelligence gathering.鈥�
A member of Hezbollah鈥檚 decision-making body and a distant relative of Nasrallah, Safieddine was out of contact since Israeli strikes on Beirut weeks ago, a high-level Hezbollah source said at the time.
A source close to Hezbollah told AFP in early October that the deeply religious cleric Safieddine, who had good relations with Hezbollah backer Iran, was the 鈥渕ost likely鈥� candidate for the party鈥檚 top job.
Grey-bearded and bespectacled, Safieddine bore a striking resemblance to his distant cousin Nasrallah, but was several years his junior, aged in his late 50s or early 60s.
鈥淲e have reached Nasrallah, his replacement and most of Hezbollah鈥檚 senior leadership,鈥� the Israeli army鈥檚 chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said in a statement late on Tuesday after the confirmation of Safieddine鈥檚 death.
After nearly a year of war with Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza, Israel shifted its focus to Lebanon in late September, vowing to secure its northern border threatened by cross-border fire from Hamas鈥檚 Lebanese ally Hezbollah.
Israel ramped up its air strikes on Hezbollah strongholds around the country and sent in ground troops late last month, in a war that has killed at least 1,552 people since September 23, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures.
The Israeli military issued new calls for residents to evacuate areas in the southern suburbs of capital Beirut on Tuesday evening, warning of imminent attacks.
In recent days the military has targeted Hezbollah鈥檚 financial assets across the country.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, has continued to fire rockets and missiles at Israel.
鈥淎s of 23:00 (2000 GMT), approximately 140 projectiles that were fired by the Hezbollah terrorist organization have crossed from Lebanon into Israel today,鈥� the military said in a statement late on Tuesday.