Israel claims to have killed Hezbollah's next chief Hashem Safieddine

Israel has claimed responsibility for an airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon's capital, targeting Hashem Safieddine, a senior Hezbollah leader and expected successor to the organisation's slain secretary general Hassan Nasrallah.

The Israeli army stated that the air force bombed Beirut, aiming to eliminate Safieddine.

Reports suggested that Safieddine was slated to become Hezbollah's chief after Nasrallah's assassination in an Israeli airstrike last week.

However, the Lebanese resistance organisation has yet to confirm or deny Israel's claim of killing Safieddine.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing explosions near the airport and seeing plumes of smoke rising into the air. 

The Israeli military also claimed to have killed Mohammed Youssef Anisi, another prominent Hezbollah leader.

Earlier, Hezbollah claimed that it had killed 17 Israeli soldiers in clashes near the border town of Maroun El Ras, a village in southern Lebanon. But, the Israeli government has confirmed the death of only one soldier.

The ongoing Israeli bombing campaign in Lebanon has resulted in massive civilian casualties. Over the past 24 hours, 37 Lebanese were killed and 151 injured.

Over 1,200 people have been killed by Israel in Lebanon since last week and over 1.2 million have been forced to flee their homes.

Israel claimed that Hamas leader Yasser Abdul Raq was among those killed in the Tulkarm attack. 

On Thursday morning, Israeli jets carried out 17 attacks in Beirut, resulting in nine fatalities and numerous injuries.

One of the targeted buildings, located near the Lebanese parliament, prime minister's residence, and UN headquarters, caught fire following the attack, Al Jazeera reported.

Earlier on September 28, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut.