Israel confirms killing of Hezbollah leader's successor
Israel confirmed on October 22 that it had killed Hashem Safieddine, the designated successor to slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Nasrallah was killed last month in an Israeli strike on the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group.
The Israeli military said Safieddine was killed in an attack three weeks ago in Beirut's southern suburbs. It was the first time Israel had officially confirmed his death. Israel said in early October that Safieddine was likely killed. Hezbollah did not immediately respond to Israel's statement.
"We have approached Nasrallah, his successor and most of Hezbollah's senior leadership. We will approach anyone who threatens the safety of civilians in the State of Israel," said General Herzi Halevi, head of the Israeli army.
Israel has launched an escalation of its offensive in Lebanon after a year of border clashes with Hezbollah, the most heavily armed of Iran’s proxy forces across the Middle East. The group has acted in support of Palestinian militants fighting Israel in Gaza, but has suffered losses since senior commanders were killed in Israeli airstrikes in recent weeks.
A relative of Nasrallah, Safieddine was appointed to Hezbollah's Jihad Council – the body responsible for the group's military operations – and to the group's executive council, which oversees Hezbollah's financial and administrative affairs.
Mr. Safieddine has taken on a prominent role as Hezbollah’s spokesman during the past year of conflict with Israel, speaking at funerals and other events that Nasrallah could not attend for security reasons.
So far, Israel has shown no signs of slowing down its operations in Gaza and Lebanon, despite killing several leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, which lost Nasrallah, its powerful secretary-general, in an airstrike on September 27.
Diplomats say Israel is trying to position itself strongly before a new US administration takes power after the November 5 election – a race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Israel's confirmation of Safieddine's death comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 22 to capitalize on the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to secure the release of the October 7 hostages and end the war in Gaza.
After several failed attempts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Mr Blinken was on his 11th trip to the Middle East since the Gaza war began – and his last before a presidential election that could change US policy. Blinken is also seeking to ease tensions in Lebanon.
