Hezbollah confirms that top official Hashem Safieddine was killed in an Israeli strike
TYRE, Lebanon (AP) — Hezbollah announced Wednesday that Hashem Safieddine, one of its top officials who had been widely expected to be the group’s next leader, was killed in an Israeli airstrike. The announcement came a day after Israel said it had killed Safieddine in a strike earlier this month in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Safieddine, a powerful cleric within the party ranks, had been expected to succeed Hassan Nasrallah, one of the group’s founders, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike last month.
Over the past several weeks, Israeli strikes have killed much of Hezbollah’s top leadership.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.