ISRAEL has killed Hezbollah’s “next leader” in a deadly blitz on a secret bunker in the latest blow to the terror group.
The Israeli military said Tuesday that Hashem Safieddine was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut in early October.
AFPIsrael military has killed Hezbollah’s ‘next leader’ Hashem Safieddine[/caption]
GettyA view of damage after an Israeli attack on Nabatiah, Lebanon[/caption]
GettyAfter a six-day pause, the Israeli attacks resumed[/caption]
APHezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike[/caption]
Safieddine, a powerful cleric within the Hezbollah ranks, was expected to succeed Hassan Nasrallah.
Nasrallah, one of the groups founders, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in September.
Israel said Safieddine was killed in Israeli airstrikes in early October in a southern suburb of Beirut.
Around 25 other Hezbollah leaders were killed during the airstrike.
Over the past months, Israeli strikes have killed much of Hezbollahs top leadership, leaving the group in disarray.
There was no immediate confirmation from the militant group about the fate of Safieddine.
An IDF statement read: “Hisham was the cousin of Hassan Nasrallah, the former leader of Hezbollah.
“Due to his familial and personal ties with Nasrallah, Hisham had a significant influence on decision-making within the terrorist organization. During times when Nasrallah was absent from Lebanon, Hisham filled in as the Secretary-General of Hezbollah.
“Throughout the years, Safieddine directed terrorist attacks against the State of Israel and took part in Hezbollah’s central decision-making processes.
“Alongside Hisham Safieddine, the terrorist Ali Hussein Hazima, the Commander of Hezbollah’s Intelligence Headquarters, was also eliminated.”
Last week Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was confirmed dead after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.
Dubbed “Gaza’s Bin Laden”, Sinwar has been Israel‘s main target ever since he masterminded the horrific October 7 massacre.
Israeli officials on Thursday said there was a “high likelihood” that a terrorist shot dead in Gaza on Wednesday was Sinwar.
His death was later confirmed by foreign minister Israel Katz who said: “Mass murderer Yahya Sinwar, who was responsible for the massacre and atrocities of 7 October, was killed today by IDF soldiers.”
Katz dubbed Sinwar’s death a “great military and moral achievement for Israel”.
He also said it could mean fresh hope for hostages still being kept in Gaza and a possible “new reality” in the ravaged Strip.
The army later released footage of Sinwar’s final moments, hunched over and wounded inside a bombed building in Gaza.
“The elimination of Sinwar creates an opportunity for the immediate release of the hostages and a potential change that could lead to a new reality in Gaza – without Hamas and without Iranian control,” Katz said.
Meanwhile a Hezbollah bunker allegedly containing £400 million worth of gold and cash in a secret bunker under a Lebanese hospital was revealed by Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claim to have uncovered the terror group’s financial headquarters as they released footage showing the underground network in Beirut.
The declassified intelligence was shared alongside a video showing how Hezbollah’s top brass is believed to operate through hidden tunnels and secret elevators.
Their underground bunker is said to be directly beneath Al-Sahel Hospital in the busy area of Dahiyeh in southern Beirut.
The IDF say it is made up of at least five separate rooms including what appears to be a communal bedroom and a meeting room.
They also revealed the exact location they claim Hezbollah hides its financial goods – including gold bars and stacks of cash.
A huge secure room to the right of the bunker has been shown through the IDF graphic to be filled with over £400million worth of goods.
The IDF claim the bunker was used by slain Hezbollah kingpin Hassan Nasrallah.
Israeli intelligence also say that Hezbollah chiefs use two different entrance points to access the bunker.
The illustration says that the two buildings either side of the hospital have been manipulated by the terrorists to provide tunnels for people to sneak through.
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