Israel has claimed that the successor to slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has likely been “eliminated,” while U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris called Tehran the greatest adversary of the United States.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on October 8 said that Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, was an “organization without a head.”
“Nasrallah was eliminated — his replacement was probably also eliminated,” Gallant told officers at the military’s northern command center without providing details.
“There’s no one to make decisions, no one to act,” he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later echoed those comments, saying, “We’ve degraded Hezbollah’s capabilities.”
“We took out thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself and Nasrallah’s replacement, and the replacement of the replacement,” Netanyahu said.
Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah’s political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament.
Hashem Safieddine, a top Hezbollah official and a cousin of Nasrallah, was widely expected to be named to the group’s top position, but his whereabouts and condition are a mystery since an Israeli strike hit a suspected Hezbollah leadership meeting on October 2.
Israel has eliminated the “top three tiers” of Hezbollah’s terror leadership but Iran’s Ayatollah says they’re “indestructible”.
Tensions between Israel and Iran are skyrocketing and could result in all-out war after Iran launched a missile barrage on Israel – who is now set to strike back.
Ayatollah Khamenei sat with a rifle by his side as he led prayers in Tehran today and sent a chilling message to Israel.
The Islamic Republic’s leader backed Tuesday’s rocket strike against Israel describing the action as “brilliant”.
He said: “We are neither procrastinating nor hasting in fulfilling our duty [to destroy Israel].”
Khamenei also said that Israel “cannot seriously harm” Hezbollah as the IDF continues its ground invasion of Lebanon to cripple the group.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant pledged “more surprises in store” for Hezbollah after the assassination of Nasrallah.
And some of them, he claimed, have already been carried out.
He said: “Hezbollah is receiving very severe blows, one after the other.”
One of those recently killed by the IDF was Hezbollah’s long-time leader Hassan Nasrallah.
AFP reported today that the group’s secretary general was buried in a temporary grave in a secret location.
Israel has continued its campaign of assassinations to decapitate Hezbollah even after troops crossed the border.
The IDF today pounded Beirut trying to kills Nasrallah’s cousin and closest aide who was rumoured to be the group’s next leader.
Israel has also taken out senior commanders of divisions within the group as it has sought it degrade their capabilities.
Gollant said: “[Hezbollah’s] missile and rocket division suffered a very heavy blow. A significant part was destroyed as a result of a high-quality and precise operation.
“Command and control headquarters, communications, the entire leadership of [the elite Radwan Force], and in fact the entire second and third tiers of command below Nasrallah were eliminated.”
But Iran has already shot back threatening more missile strikes against Israel.
Videos published showed missile workers writing on the rockets phrases such as “In revenge for dear Haniyeh” after the assassination of the Hamas leader in July.
The IDF has also killed a top Hamas commander in a deadly fighter jet airstrike in Tulkarem.
The military said the strike was carried out as senior Hamas commander Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi was planning a terrorist attack “in the immediate time frame”.
His death comes as another senior Hamas leader, who was Yahya Sinwar’s right-hand man, was also killed in Gaza.
Rawhi Mushtaha, the chief of Hamas’s government in Gaza, was killed in a series of airstrikes in July, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced.
At least one strike hit outside the perimeter of the international airport and smoke was seen nearby after jets were heard overhead.
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