The Israeli military on Tuesday announced that it had killed Hashem Safieddine, the potential successor of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated in September.

In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, Israeli Defense Forces announced that Mr Safieddine, cousin of Mr Nasrallah, and other top-ranking Hezbollah officials were killed in an attack on the group’s Headquarters in Dahieh about three weeks ago.

“Hashem Safieddine, head of the Hezbollah Executive Council and Ali Hussein Hazima, commander of Hezbollah’s Intelligence Headquarters, were eliminated during a strike on Hezbollah’s main intelligence HQ in Dahieh approximately three weeks ago,” the statement reads.

It added, “Hashem 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 organisation.”

Hezbollah is yet to make a statement debunking or confirming this claim by the Israeli military.

Mr Safieddine’s death comes as the latest, following the assassination of Hezbollah’s former leader by Israeli forces on September 27 amid lingering hostilities between Israel and Palestine. 

Israeli forces also killed Yahya Sinwar last week, less than two months after he assumed office as Hamas leader, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Iran in August.