by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the Lebanese to reclaim their country from Hezbollah and indicated on Tuesday evening that Israel had successfully assassinated Hashem Safieddine, the expected new leader of Hezbollah, who was targeted in an airstrike in Beirut last Thursday. He also asserted that Israel had eliminated the next in line for the position.
In a video message on Tuesday night, Netanyahu called on Lebanese citizens to reclaim their country from Hezbollah’s control. Addressing the Lebanese public in an English-language video, he stated that Israel has “degraded Hezbollah’s capabilities; we took out thousands of terrorists, including [longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah himself, and Nasrallah’s replacement, and his replacement’s replacement.” He further emphasized, “Today, Hezbollah is weaker than it has been in many, many years.”
This is a message to the people of Lebanon: pic.twitter.com/btMQR0Xwtn
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 8, 2024
In an airstrike on Beirut on September 27, Israel killed Nasrallah, the leader of the terror group since 1992. On October 3, Israel carried out a heavy bombing in Beirut, reportedly targeting Safieddine, the head of Hezbollah’s executive council, who managed the group’s political affairs and was thought to be Nasrallah’s successor.
Netanyahu declared that “Hezbollah is weaker than it has been in many, many years” following targeted attacks that involved pagers, walkie-talkies, and both land and airstrikes against the terrorist organization.
“Hezbollah is an organization without a leader; Nasrallah was eliminated, and his replacement was probably also eliminated,” said Israeli Defense Minister Gallant during a visit to the IDF Northern Command, noting that Hezbollah’s firepower capabilities have also suffered a significant setback.
“This has a dramatic effect on everything that happens. There is no one to make decisions, no one to act,” the defense minister added. “The actions we are taking are being observed all over the Middle East. When the smoke in Lebanon clears, they will realize in Iran that they have lost their most valuable asset, which is Hezbollah.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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