Netanyahu: Hashem Safi al-Din and His Successor Killed

Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Hashem Safi al-Din, a potential successor to Hassan Nasrallah, and his successor were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The Israeli Prime Minister also urged the people of Lebanon to reclaim their country and set it on the right path. Hashem Safi al-Din was a senior official in Hezbollah and the father-in-law of Zainab Soleimani, daughter of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC. Netanyahu made this announcement in a message on Tuesday, October 9. He told the people of Lebanon that the 'gang of oppressive rulers and terrorists' has brought war and destruction to Lebanon. He stated that the Islamic Republic has taken control of Lebanon and that Hezbollah operates in the interests of the Iranian government with the help of funding and weapons from the Islamic Republic. Netanyahu called on the Lebanese people to take back their country and put it on the correct path, warning that otherwise, 'Hezbollah will continue its efforts to wage war against Israel at the cost of your lives and from densely populated areas.' He emphasized Israel's 'right to victory,' stating that Israel has already eliminated thousands of 'Hezbollah terrorists.' Hours earlier, Yoav Gallant, Israel's Defense Minister, had stated during a visit to the northern army unit that 'with the killing of Nasrallah and the likely killing of his successor, Hezbollah has become a leaderless organization.' As part of its extensive campaign against Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy, Israel heavily targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut on Thursday evening, October 4. Axios reported, citing three Israeli sources, that the target of this attack was Hashem Safi al-Din's underground shelter. Following the terrorist attack on October 7, Hezbollah, as the main proxy of the Islamic Republic, unilaterally began its rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel. In response, Israel conducted severe attacks against the positions of this group in Lebanon and Syria, killing hundreds of members of this Iran-backed group and eliminating its leaders and senior military commanders. Several countries, including the United States, Israel, Germany, Serbia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Australia, have recognized Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Recognizing Hezbollah as a terrorist organization means not distinguishing between its political and military branches and labeling both as terrorists. Images of Hezbollah's heavy missile attack on the city of Haifa in northern Israel and images of the destruction of buildings in southern Beirut after Israeli airstrikes were also reported. Israel's success in countering Hamas and Hezbollah over the past year has raised the security alert level due to the potential for terrorist attacks. Britain faces an increasing threat from ISIS, Iran, and Russia. The New York Times reported that Israel's attacks focus on military targets, intelligence objectives, or 'leadership.' Israel announced that the logistics chief of Hezbollah was killed, and the UAE canceled all flights to and from Iran.