Israel can't confirm death of Hezbollah's Safieddine, spokesperson says

Hezbollah supporters protest over Gaza hospital strike, in Beirut

FILE PHOTO: Hezbollah supporters carry flags and banners depicting Hezbollah senior official Sayyed Hashem Safieddine during a protest in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo

Source: X07689

Israel cannot confirm whether the potential successor to the slain Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has been killed, a government spokesperson said on Monday, following reports that he was targeted in an Israeli air strike last week.

Asked if Israel could confirm the death of Hashem Safieddine, spokesperson David Mencer told an online briefing: "We don't have that confirmation yet. When it is confirmed, as and when, it will be on the IDF (Israeli military) website."

A Hezbollah official told Reuters on Sunday that Israel was obstructing search and rescue efforts in an area where Safieddine is thought to have been when Israel bombed Beirut's southern suburbs on Thursday.

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Israel has killed much of Hezbollah's military command and senior leadership in nearly a year of fighting that began when Hezbollah opened a front in solidarity with Palestinians the day after Hamas' deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters