Israel released a statement Tuesday afternoon confirming the elimination of Hashem Safieddine, a senior Hezbollah member widely seen as next in line to head the terrorist organization following last month's assassination of leader Hassan Nasrallah.
In addition to being Nasrallah's cousin, "Safieddine was a member of the Shura Council, Hezbollah's most senior military-political forum, responsible for the decision-making and policy-making in the terrorist organization," the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a post on the social media network X (formerly Twitter).
He was believed to be the successor to Nasrallah, having already filled in for the deceased terror boss and served as Secretary-General on several occasions.
Along with Safieddine, the IDF said it eliminated Ali Hussein Hazima, commander of Hezbollah's Intelligence Headquarters.
Nasrallah, the group's longtime leader, was assassinated on September 27 in a massive Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah headquarters in the Lebanese capital city of Beirut.
A week later, on October 4, Israeli warplanes struck the underground bunker housing Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters "in the heart of a civilian population" in south Beirut.
Dozens of additional Hezbollah members were said to have been inside the bunker at the time, including other top commanders, though it remains unclear how many were killed or injured.
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