Israel kills Hezbollah’s ‘next leader’ in deadly blitz on secret bunker in latest blow to terror group

ISRAEL has killed Hezbollah’s “next leader” in a deadly blitz on a secret bunker in the latest blow to the terror group.

The Israeli military said Tuesday that Hashem Safieddine was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut in early October.

Safieddine, a powerful cleric within the Hezbollah ranks, was expected to succeed Hassan Nasrallah.

Nasrallah, one of the groups founders, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in September.

Israel said Safieddine was killed in Israeli airstrikes in early October in a southern suburb of Beirut.

Around 25 other Hezbollah leaders were killed during the airstrike.

Over the past months, Israeli strikes have killed much of Hezbollah’s top leadership, leaving the group in disarray.

There was no immediate confirmation from the militant group about the fate of Safieddine.

An IDF statement read: “Hashem was the cousin of Hassan Nasrallah, the former leader of Hezbollah.

“Due to his familial and personal ties with Nasrallah, Hashem had a significant influence on decision-making within the terrorist organization.

“During times when Nasrallah was absent from Lebanon, Hashem filled in as the Secretary-General of Hezbollah.

“Throughout the years, Safieddine directed terrorist attacks against the State of Israel and took part in Hezbollah’s central decision-making processes.

“Alongside Hashem Safieddine, the terrorist Ali Hussein Hazima, the Commander of Hezbollah’s Intelligence Headquarters, was also eliminated.”

Last week Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was confirmed dead after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.

Dubbed “Gaza’s Bin Laden”, Sinwar has been Israel‘s main target ever since he masterminded the horrific October 7 massacre.

Israeli officials on Thursday said there was a “high likelihood” that a terrorist shot dead in Gaza on Wednesday was Sinwar.

His death was later confirmed by foreign minister Israel Katz who said: “Mass murderer Yahya Sinwar, who was responsible for the massacre and atrocities of 7 October, was killed today by IDF soldiers.”

Katz dubbed Sinwar’s death a “great military and moral achievement for Israel”.

He also said it could mean fresh hope for hostages still being kept in Gaza and a possible “new reality” in the ravaged Strip.

The army later released footage of Sinwar’s final moments, hunched over and wounded inside a bombed building in Gaza.

“The elimination of Sinwar creates an opportunity for the immediate release of the hostages and a potential change that could lead to a new reality in Gaza – without Hamas and without Iranian control,” Katz said.

Meanwhile a Hezbollah bunker allegedly containing £400 million worth of gold and cash in a secret bunker under a Lebanese hospital was revealed by Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claim to have uncovered the terror group’s financial headquarters as they released footage showing the underground network in Beirut.

The declassified intelligence was shared alongside a video showing how Hezbollah’s top brass is believed to operate through hidden tunnels and secret elevators.

Their underground bunker is said to be directly beneath Al-Sahel Hospital in the busy area of Dahiyeh in southern Beirut.

The IDF say it is made up of at least five separate rooms including what appears to be a communal bedroom and a meeting room.

They also revealed the exact location they claim Hezbollah hides its financial goods – including gold bars and stacks of cash.

A huge secure room to the right of the bunker has been shown through the IDF graphic to be filled with over £400million worth of goods.

The IDF claim the bunker was used by slain Hezbollah kingpin Hassan Nasrallah.

Israeli intelligence also say that Hezbollah chiefs use two different entrance points to access the bunker.

The illustration says that the two buildings either side of the hospital have been manipulated by the terrorists to provide tunnels for people to sneak through.

ISRAEL VS HEZBOLLAH

Israel launched its ground operation in Lebanon earlier this month to weaken Hezbollah and push the terror group away from the border to allow displaced Israelis to return.

Earlier on Sunday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant promised that Israel would never let Hezbollah regroup along the Lebanon border.

He said: “These are military targets containing underground tunnels and weapon storages.

“Our troops found hundreds of RPGs, munitions, and anti-tank missiles here.

“The IDF is currently destroying these weapons above and under the ground.”

He said he has “instructed the IDF… to ensure that terrorists cannot return to these places”.

The IDF said some 100 Hezbollah operatives have been killed over the last week – and claimed more than 50 Hezbollah rocket launchers and 60 command centres have been destroyed.

But Avraham Levine, an analyst with Israeli think-tank Alma, said it’s likely Hezbollah was “well prepared and waiting” for Israeli troops.

He said: “The fact that the chain of command has been damaged does not take away the ability to shoot Israeli communities or try to hit,” describing Hezbollah as “the same powerful terror army we all know”.

Hezbollah’s deadly strike on the Israeli base came the same day the US said it would send a new air defence system to help bolster protection against missiles.

Israel is now at war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon – both Iran-backed militant groups – and is expected to strike Iran in retaliation for a missile attack earlier this month.

Gallant said Israel will hit Iran in a way that will be “lethal, precise and surprising”.

And Iran has vowed to respond to any Israeli attack – saying it has “no red lines”.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said: “While we have made tremendous efforts in recent days to contain an all-out war in our region, I say it clearly that we have no red lines in defending our people and interests.”

Meanwhile, in northern Gaza, Israeli air and ground forces have been attacking Jabaliya – where the military says terrorists have regrouped.

Israel has ordered the full evacuation of northern Gaza – including Gaza City.

The Hamas terror attack on Israeli soil killed over 1,000 people and saw some 250 more kidnapped into Gaza.

It sparked a horrific war in which more than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes – according to the UN and other international human rights groups.

Israel recently launched a ground operation in Lebanon too, where Hamas ally Hezbollah is based, with Lebanese officials reporting the number of people killed as more than 2,300.