Netanyahu Says Israel Has Killed 'Hezbollah's Successor'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel has killed the 'successor to Hassan Nasrallah' without naming Hashim Safi al-Din. In a video message released on Tuesday evening, Netanyahu said, 'We have destroyed Hezbollah's capabilities. We have eliminated thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself and his successor and the successor of his successor.' It is unclear who Netanyahu refers to as the 'successor of the successor' of the killed Hezbollah leader. Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also referred to Hashim Safi al-Din, whom he called Nasrallah's successor, stating that he is likely dead. The killing of this senior Hezbollah member, who was considered the most serious candidate to succeed Hassan Nasrallah, occurred as a result of an Israeli airstrike last Thursday in the Dahieh area of southern Beirut. Meanwhile, there is still no news about the fate of Ismail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The New York Times reported on October 15, citing three Iranian sources, that Ismail Qaani was last seen in Beirut last week. A Hezbollah official told Reuters on Sunday that Israel is obstructing search and rescue efforts at the site of the attack on Hashim Safi al-Din. Previously, on October 6, Israel targeted and killed Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. Netanyahu also stated in his message that Hezbollah is currently in its weakest position in years. This group, supported by the Islamic Republic, controls large parts of southern Lebanon and is on the U.S. terrorist list. Since October 16 last year, a day after Hamas's bloody attack on Israel, Hezbollah has begun missile attacks on Israel, leading to the evacuation of 60,000 residents from northern Israel. Netanyahu further stated that Israel has the right to defend itself and the right to win, and it will. He urged the people of Lebanon to 'free themselves from Hezbollah, or else this group will continue its attacks on Israel from densely populated areas of the country at the cost of Lebanese lives.' He continued, 'For Hezbollah, it does not matter if Lebanon enters a wider war; Christians, Druze, Muslims - whether Shia or Sunni - all of you are suffering because of Hezbollah's pointless war against Israel.' He also addressed Lebanese citizens, stating: 'Do not let these terrorists destroy your future any further. You have the opportunity to save Lebanon before it falls into a long war that leads to destruction and suffering. There is no need for a situation like Gaza to be repeated.' In addition to intensifying airstrikes on various areas of Lebanon, including the southern suburbs of Beirut, which is Hezbollah's main base, Israel has also begun ground attacks in southern Lebanon since last week. In response, Hezbollah has intensified rocket fire towards northern Israel, targeting northern Israeli cities dozens of times daily.