Israel defence minister claims 'eliminating' Hezbollah's Safieddine

BEIRUT: Israel’s defence minister on Tuesday claimed it appeared Hashem Safieddine, the replacement for slain Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had been “eliminated."

“Hezbollah is an organization without a head. Nasrallah was eliminated, his replacement was probably also eliminated,”  Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told officers at the Israeli military’s northern command centre.

Safieddine, a top Hezbollah official, was widely expected to succeed Nasrallah. Safieddine has not been heard from publicly since an Israeli airstrike late last week.

Like Nasrallah, Safieddine is a cleric who wears a black turban. His physical resemblance to Nasrallah, who led the Lebanese group for more than three decades, has also marked him as a favourite for the succession.

Safieddine was not attending the meeting in Beirut’s southern suburbs on the evening of September 27 that Israel attacked with an air strike, killing Nasrallah.

Hezbollah is yet to comment on the development.