Israeli prime minister accuses Hezbollah of turning Lebanon into war zone
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Tuesday evening that Israel killed Hashem Safieddine, the potential successor to assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, without directly naming him.
Netanyahu made the announcement in a recorded speech, addressing the Lebanese people and delivering unprecedented criticism of Hezbollah.
“We took out thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself, and Nasrallah's replacement, and the replacement of his replacement,” he said. Safieddine is said to have been injured in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburb last week.
“Do you remember when your country was called the 'Pearl of the Middle East'? I do,” he said, addressing the Lebanese people.
“Israel withdrew from Lebanon 25 years ago. But the country that actually conquered Lebanon is not Israel. It's Iran,” Netanyahu said.
He said Iran 'finances and arms Hezbollah to serve Iran's interests at Lebanon's expense,” adding that “Hezbollah has turned Lebanon into a stockpile of ammunition and weapons and a forward Iranian military base.
Netanyahu asserted that Hezbollah is “weaker than it's been for many, many years, urging the Lebanese people to “take back” their country. “You can return it to a path of peace and prosperity.”
While Netanyahu spoke about Hezbollah's alleged weakening, the group launched about 100 rockets on Tuesday in its largest barrage since the conflict began, according to Israeli media. This came after a speech by Hezbollah's Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem.
Earlier on Tuesday, Qassem said in a televised address that Hezbollah's military capabilities are “intact” and its leadership is “solid, with all vacancies filled.”
“If the enemy continues its war, the battlefield will decide. We are the people of the battlefield, and we will not beg for a solution,” he said.
Despite Israel's air superiority, Hezbollah claims to have repelled infiltration attempts in southern Lebanon.
Israeli military data suggests 48 soldiers were injured in Lebanon and Gaza in the past 24 hours.
