Free Republic

Long-serving deputy secretary-general of the terror group is approved by Hezbollah's religious council after the designated successor of Hasan Nasrallah, Hashem Safieddine is also killed in a targeted strike. Yoav Gallant:The appointment is temporary. The countdown has begun. https://x.com/yoavgallant/status/1851245367720919450

“It's also been an imperative for us to try to make sure that this conflict doesn't spread." US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Israel not to escalate its conflict with Tehran and the Iranian proxy group Hezbollah as it continues to respond militarily to attacks from both entities. “It's also been an imperative for us to try to make sure that this conflict doesn't spread. We are resolute in our defense of Israel when it comes to attacks it's receiving from Iran, from Iran's proxies,” Blinken told reporters on Wednesday morning before departing Tel Aviv for Saudi Arabia. “We...

Jerusalem: Israel's army confirmed Tuesday it "eliminated" Hezbollah's Hashem Safieddine, apparent successor of slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, in a strike in a southern Beirut suburb three weeks ago. "It can now be confirmed that in an attack approximately three weeks ago, Hashem Safieddine, the head of Hezbollah's Executive Council, and Ali Hussein Hazima, the head of Hezbollah's Intelligence Directorate, were killed along with other Hezbollah commanders," the army said in a statement. Hezbollah has not yet issued a statement regarding the CLAIM. On October 8, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the military has "taken out" Safieddine, without specifically...

Israel on Tuesday confirmed it had killed Hashem Safieddine, the heir apparent to late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah who was killed last month in an Israeli attack targeting the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group. The military said Safieddine was killed in a strike carried out three weeks ago in Beirut's southern suburbs, its first confirmation of his death. Earlier this month, Israel said he had probably been eliminated. There was no immediate response from Hezbollah to Israel's statement that it had killed Safieddine. "We have reached Nasrallah, his replacement and most of Hezbollah's senior leadership. We will reach anyone who threatens...

There are short-term jobs, and then there are really short-term jobs. It would seem that being the leader of the terrorist group Hezbollah falls into the latter category. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Tuesday that the Israel Defense Forces eliminated the replacement of former Hezbollah boss Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in late September, as well as another possible successor to the top job. Netanyahu appeared on television to speak directly to the Lebanese people: "Today, Hezbollah is weaker than it has been for many, many years," Netanyahu said in a message tailored directly to the "people of...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Tuesday that Hezbollah’s intended replacement of former leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed last month, has been eliminated as well. “Today, Hezbollah is weaker than it has been for many, many years,” Netanyahu said in a message tailored directly to the “people of Lebanon.” “We’ve degraded Hezbollah’s capabilities, we took out thousands of terrorists, including [former Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah himself, and Nasrallah’s replacement, and the replacement of his replacement.” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Hashem Safieddine, a relative of Nasrallah who was about to officially replace him, likely died in...

An Iranian general who promised to “see the dead bodies of Americans all over the Middle East” is missing after an Israeli attack in Lebanon that may have also killed the presumed new Hezbollah chief. The whereabouts of Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, remains a mystery after Friday’s airstrike in Beirut, the New York Times reported. Some Arab and Israeli outlets say he is dead, while others report him as wounded. Lebanese security forces also have lost contact with Hashem Safieddine, a top local Hezbollah official and the presumed successor to the terror group’s...

One of Iran's top military commanders is believed to have been killed in an Israeli attack that targeted the new leader of terror group Hezbollah. Esmail Qaani, head of the Quds Force – the elite wing of the feared Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) – was reported to be with the new leader of Hezbollah, Hashem Safieddine, who was targeted in his HQ bunker in Beirut by the Israelis. The air strike on Thursday night during heavy bombing of southern Beirut was mounted as Safieddine held a secret meeting with other Hezbollah leaders in the underground intelligence headquarters.

An Israeli security source on Saturday confirmed to Sky News Arabic that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's successor, Hashem Safieddine, was eliminated in a Friday night strike. According to Al Hadath, commanders from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard were eliminated together with Safieddine. On Friday, Israel estimated that Safieddine was injured in the strike, since those who were with him in the underground area which was struck could not have escaped the site alive. In addition, it is estimated that alongside Safieddine, senior Hezbollah intelligence officials were also present at the site and were also injured. Safieddine, 60, is a cousin of...

What we know Israel launched intense strikes on Beirut targeting Hezbollah's presumed new leader as he met with other senior militants, an Israeli official told NBC News. The IDF is still assessing whether Hashem Safieddine was killed. An Israeli airstrike cut off a key road that thousands of Lebanese had been using to cross into relative safety in Syria. Israel's bombardment has displaced more than a million people, filling government shelters, and forcing others to sleep in the streets of Beirut. Iran’s supreme leader vowed his country and its allies would not back down after its "brilliant operation" against Israel...

Nasrallah’s presumed successor said to be target of heavy Israeli strike in Beirut No word yet from army on whether it targeted Hashem Safieddine * IDF, Shin Bet say head of Hamas terror network among the 18 Palestinians reported killed in Tulkarem airstrike

The Department of Justice announced Thursday that it is creating a task force to take a fresh look at drug-trafficking and money-laundering operations linked to Hezbollah after an investigative report last month claimed that the Obama administration turned a blind eye to such activities to preserve the Iran nuclear deal. The task force, dubbed the Hezbollah Financing and Narcoterrorism Team (HFNT), will begin its work by reviewing investigations stemming from Project Cassandra, a campaign led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) targeting the Lebanese terror group’s actions. According to a Politico report published last month, officials with the Obama Justice...

The Hezbollah Shura Council on Sunday chose Hashem Safieddine as Secretary General to replace Hassan Nasrallah, who was eliminated in an Israeli airstrike on Friday, Saudi news outlets Al Hadath and Al Arabiya reported. Safieddine currently serves as the head of Hezbollah's Executive Council. He is Nasrallah's cousin from his mother's side. His brother, Abdullah, is Hezbollah's envoy to Iran. In addition, Safieddine is one of six clerics currently serving on Hezbollah's Shura Council. His son, Said Ridah, is married to Zayneb Soleimani, the daughter of former Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, who was eliminated in 2020. Hezbollah denied the...