Israeli military claims it killed Hezbollah official expected to be next leader

Hashem Safieddine speaks at a funeral earlier this year. Credit: CNN

The Israeli military has claimed an airstrike on Beirut in October killed a top Hezbollah official, who was expected to be the group’s next leader.

Hashem Safieddine was anticipated to succeed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in September.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) announced on Tuesday that Safieddine had been killed by an attack in a southern suburb of Lebanon's capital earlier this month.

Around 25 other Hezbollah leaders were killed during the same strike, the IDF said.

Most of Hezbollah's top leadership have been killed by Israeli strikes in recent months.

On Tuesday, the IDF launched fresh attacks on the same suburb where Safieddine was killed, destroying a building it claimed contained Hezbollah facilities.

The airstrike came 40 minutes after Israel issued an evacuation warning for two buildings in the area that it said were used by Hezbollah.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves as he boards a plane en route to the Middle East. Credit: AP

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, urging him to increase the flow of aid to Palestinians and work to secure the release of hostages.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called his meeting with Blinken, which lasted more than two hours, “friendly and productive".

Blinken landed hours after Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets into central Israel, setting off air raid sirens in populated areas and at its international airport, but causing no apparent damage or injuries.

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