Israel says it killed a prime Hezbollah official anticipated to be the group’s subsequent chief

BEIRUT — The Israeli army mentioned Tuesday that certainly one of its airstrikes exterior Beirut earlier this month killed a prime Hezbollah official who had been extensively anticipated to be the group’s subsequent chief.

There was no rapid affirmation from the militant group concerning the destiny of Hashem Safieddine.

Safieddine, a robust cleric throughout the social gathering ranks, was anticipated to succeed Hassan Nasrallah, one of many group’s founders, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in September.

Israel mentioned Safieddine was killed by an airstrike in early October in a southern suburb of Beirut. Round 25 different Hezbollah leaders have been killed in the course of the strike, Israel mentioned.

Israeli strikes in latest months have killed a lot of Hezbollah’s prime management, leaving the group in disarray.

The Beirut suburb the place Safieddine was killed was pummeled by a sequence of contemporary airstrikes on Tuesday. The Israeli army leveled a constructing within the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut that it mentioned housed Hezbollah amenities.

The collapse despatched smoke and particles flying into the air a couple of hundred meters (yards) from the place a spokesperson for the militant group had simply briefed journalists a couple of weekend drone assault that broken the Israeli prime minister’s home.

The airstrike got here 40 minutes after Israel issued an evacuation warning for 2 buildings within the space that it mentioned have been utilized by Hezbollah. The Hezbollah press convention close by was lower brief, and an Related Press photographer captured a picture of a missile heading in the direction of the constructing moments earlier than it was destroyed. There have been no rapid reviews of casualties.

Hezbollah’s chief spokesman, Mohammed Afif, mentioned the group was behind the Saturday drone assault on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s house within the coastal city of Caesarea. He hinted that it’d try future strikes on Netanyahu’s house. Israel has mentioned neither the prime minister nor his spouse have been house on the time of the assault.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Tuesday with Netanyahu as a part of his eleventh go to to the area for the reason that outbreak of the Israel-Hamas struggle. After Israel’s killing final week of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, Blinken is attempting to revive efforts to safe a cease-fire in Gaza. To this point, each Israel and Hamas seem like digging in.

Blinken harassed the necessity for Israel to do extra to assist improve the move of humanitarian assist to Palestinians, and mentioned Israel ought to “capitalize” on Sinwar’s demise as a chance to finish the struggle in Gaza and safe the discharge of hostages there. Netanyahu’s workplace known as his assembly with Blinken, which lasted greater than two hours, “friendly and productive.”

Blinken landed hours after Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets into central Israel, setting off air raid sirens in populated areas and at its worldwide airport, however inflicting no obvious harm or accidents.

Hospitals in Lebanon worry being focused by Israel

An Israeli airstrike late Monday in Beirut evening destroyed a number of buildings throughout the road from the nation’s largest public hospital, killing 18 folks and wounding not less than 60 others. The Israeli army mentioned it struck a Hezbollah goal, with out elaborating, and mentioned that it hadn’t focused the hospital itself.

Related Press reporters visited the Rafik Hariri College Hospital on Tuesday. They noticed damaged home windows within the hospital’s pharmacy and dialysis heart, which was stuffed with sufferers on the time.

Workers at one other Beirut hospital feared it could be focused after Israel alleged that Hezbollah had stashed tons of of tens of millions of {dollars} in money and gold in its basement, with out offering proof.

The director of the Sahel Normal Hospital denied the allegations and invited journalists to go to the hospital and its two underground flooring on Tuesday. AP reporters noticed no signal of militants or something out of the bizarre.

The few remaining sufferers had been evacuated after the Israeli army’s announcement the evening earlier than. The remainder had left earlier due to repeated airstrikes within the surrounding neighborhood.

“We have been living in terror for the last 24 hours,” hospital director Mazen Alame mentioned. “There is nothing under the hospital.”

Many in Lebanon worry Israel might goal its hospitals in the identical method it has raided medical amenities throughout Gaza. The Israeli army has accused Hamas and different militants of utilizing hospitals for army functions, allegations denied by medical employees.

Lebanon’s Well being Ministry mentioned Tuesday that 63 folks have been killed over the previous 24 hours, elevating the demise toll over the previous 12 months of battle between Israel and Hezbollah to 2,546.

Blinken attempting to restart efforts to succeed in a cease-fire in Gaza

Throughout his assembly with Netanyahu, Blinken underscored the necessity for a dramatic improve within the quantity of humanitarian assist reaching Gaza, in line with U.S. State Division spokesman Matthew Miller. The necessity for extra assist in Gaza is one thing Blinken and U.S. Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin made clear in a letter to Israeli officers final week.

Miller mentioned Blinken additionally harassed the significance of ending the combating between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated earlier this month when Israel launched a floor invasion of southern Lebanon.

The State Division mentioned forward of Blinken’s go to that he would deal with ending the struggle in Gaza, securing the discharge of hostages held by Hamas and assuaging the struggling of Palestinian civilians.

The US, Egypt and Qatar have brokered months of talks between Israel and Hamas, attempting to strike a deal wherein the militants would launch dozens of hostages in return for an finish to the struggle, an enduring cease-fire and the discharge of Palestinian prisoners.

However each Israel and Hamas accused one another of creating new and unacceptable calls for over the summer time, and the talks floor to a halt in August. Hamas says its calls for have not modified following the killing of Sinwar.

Israel mentioned it launched its floor invasion of Lebanon to attempt to cease close to day by day rocket assaults from Hezbollah for the reason that begin of the struggle in Gaza. Israel has mentioned it plans to strike Iran — which backs each Hamas and Hezbollah — in response to its ballistic missile assault on Israel earlier this month.

Struggle rages in Lebanon and northern Gaza

The U.S. has additionally tried to dealer a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, however these efforts fell aside as tensions spiked final month with a sequence of Israeli strikes that killed the militant group’s prime chief, Hassan Nasrallah, and most of his senior commanders.

Israel is waging one other main operation within the already devastated northern area of Gaza. Lots of of Palestinians have been killed over the past two weeks, in line with native well being authorities.

In Lebanon, Israel has carried out waves of heavy airstrikes throughout southern Beirut and the nation’s south and east, areas the place Hezbollah has a powerful presence.

Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets, missiles and drones into Israel over the previous 12 months, together with some which have reached the nation’s populous heart.

Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led militants killed round 1,200 folks in Israel, principally civilians, and took one other 250 hostage. Round 100 of the captives are nonetheless held in Gaza, a 3rd of whom are believed to be useless.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed greater than 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded tens of hundreds, in line with native well being authorities, who do not say what number of have been combatants however say greater than half have been ladies and youngsters. It has additionally induced main devastation throughout the territory and displaced round 90% of its inhabitants of two.3 million.