Israeli army claims Hezbollah's Executive Council head Safieddine killed in Beirut airstrike

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army on Tuesday claimed that it killed Hashem Safieddine, the head of Hezbollah's Executive Council, in an airstrike on southern Beirut earlier this month.

The army “can now confirm that Hisham Safieddine, Head of the Hezbollah Executive Council, and Ali Hussein Hazima, Commander of Hezbollah's Intelligence Headquarters, were eliminated by the IDF (army), along with additional Hezbollah commanders,” a military statement said.

“They were eliminated in a strike carried out approximately three weeks ago in the area of Dahieh,” it added.

The statement claimed that more than 25 members of Hezbollah's intelligence division were at the headquarters when the strike was carried out, including Bilal Saib Aish, “who was in charge of aerial intelligence gathering in Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters in Syria.”

“Hisham Safieddine was a member of the Shura Council, Hezbollah's most senior military-political forum, responsible for the decision-making and policy-making,” it added.

It further stated that 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 group.”

As of 2130GMT, there was no comment from Hezbollah regarding Israel's claim of assassinating Safieddine, who was considered the top candidate to succeed Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s secretary general who was assassinated by Tel Aviv on Sept. 27.

Israel has mounted a huge air campaign in Lebanon since last month against what it claims are Hezbollah targets in an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and the Lebanese group since the start of Israel’s brutal offensive on Gaza.

At least 2,546 people have been killed and more than 11,860 others injured in Israeli attacks since October last year, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Israel expanded the conflict on Oct. 1 this year by launching a ground assault into southern Lebanon.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio