Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed the death of Hashem Saifeddine, the successor to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. According to the Times of Israel, Saifeddin was killed in an airstrike in Beirut on Thursday last week.
Netanyahu's previous defense minister, Yoav Galant, also claimed his death yesterday evening. After Hezbollah chief Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on September 27, Safyeddin was considered a leading contender for the next chief.
He has been the head of Hezbollah's Executive Council for the past 30 years. Saifuddin was currently a member of Hezbollah's Executive Council and a cousin of Hassan Nasrallah.
In 1990, Safyeddin joined Hezbollah
Saifeedin was born in 1964 in Deir Qanun al-Nahr, Lebanon. Both Saifuddin and Nasrallah received religious education together. The two studied together in major Shiite centers of learning such as Qoum in Iran and Najaf in Iraq.
Both were recalled from Iran during Islamic studies in the 1990s. Both Nasrallah and Saifuddin joined Hezbollah in its early days. In 1994, Saifuddin was made Chief of Hezbollah's Executive Council.
He was the Chairman of the Executive Council of Hezbollah for the past 30 years. Currently, Safiddin was a member of Hezbollah's Executive Council and a cousin of Hassan Nasrallah.
Two years after Nasrallah became head of Hezbollah, Saifuddin was also made chief of the organization's executive council.
Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike last month on September 27. Israel bombed Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut with 80 tons of bombs. Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah's death at 5pm on Saturday, nearly 20 hours after the attack on Friday.
After this, on 29 September, his body was found under the Hezbollah headquarters. Apart from Nasrallah, his daughter Zainab was also killed in this attack. He was buried 7 days after his death. According to news agency AFP, Nasrallah has been buried in a secret location due to fears of an Israeli attack.
Nasrallah was the chief of Hezbollah for the last 32 years (1992).
Fear of an Israeli attack on Iran
Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel would definitely attack Iran. In fact, late on October 1, Iran fired 180 missiles at Israel. Two Israeli citizens were also injured in the attack.
After the attack, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said that Iran will suffer the consequences of this attack. We have a plan and we will decide the time and place as per our wish.
After the attack, Iran said that this was the first revenge for Nasrallah's martyrdom. This is just the beginning.
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