On Wednesday, the Israeli military confirmed the successful “elimination” of Hashem Safieddine, a senior Hezbollah leader and likely successor of Hassan Nasrallah. In a targeted operation, Ali Hussein Hazima, Hezbollah’s intelligence chief, was also killed, creating a dent in Hezbollah leadership amid an active war in the Middle East.
In a brief statement released on Tuesday evening, the Israeli army the deaths of Safieddine and Hazima. The two prominent Hezbollah leaders were struck down in a “precise, intelligence-based strike” on the militant group’s central intelligence headquarters in Dahiyeh. The attack in Dahiyeh entrapped 25 Hezbollah militants, including Bilal Saib Aish, Hezbollah’s aerial intelligence head.
This confirmation comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested the elimination of Safieddine, though he did not name him directly. According to the Israeli prime minister’s office, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Tuesday. This meeting is part of Blinken’s ongoing tour of the Middle East aimed at reducing tensions in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
Today @IsraeliPM Netanyahu and I talked about the importance of seizing this opportunity to end the conflict in Gaza, return all hostages, and chart a path to lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike. pic.twitter.com/FVaJYdtg8P
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 22, 2024
In a statement directed at Lebanon, Netanyahu mentioned that Israeli forces had “taken out thousands of terrorists, including Hassan Nasrallah and his successor.”
