The Israeli military has killed the two top Hezbollah figures considered likely replacements for Hassan Nasrallah, who was taken out by an air strike in late September, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday.
In a video address to the Lebanese people published on social media, Netanyahu called on them to “free” their country from Hezbollah, accusing the armed group of plunging Lebanon into chaos and war by attacking Israel and “killing civilians without distinction.”
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The Israeli leader warned that Lebanon could face destruction and suffering “like we see in Gaza,” as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) escalate their cross-border ground offensive into Lebanese territory.
“Israel has a right to defend itself,” the Israeli leader reiterated. “We’ve degraded Hezbollah’s capabilities. We’ve taken out thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself and his replacement, as well as the replacement of his replacement,” he claimed, without naming the other two figures.
Israel assassinated the longtime leader of the armed group with an airstrike on Beirut in late September. Last week, the IDF claimed to have also taken out Hezbollah’s Executive Council chief Hashem Safieddine, although the armed group has not confirmed his death and has denied rumors that he replaced Nasrallah.
“Today, Hezbollah is weaker than it has been for many years,” Netanyahu said, urging the Lebanese to overthrow the group. “You stand at a crossroads.”
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“You have an opportunity to save Lebanon before it falls into the abyss of a long war that will lead to destruction and suffering like we see in Gaza. It doesn’t have to be that way,” he added.
Hezbollah attacked Israel in solidarity with Gaza shortly after the Israeli bombing began in October 2023. Israel launched its military operation in the Palestinian enclave after Hamas militants breached the border and killed around 1,100 Israelis, while taking more than 200 hostages.
The IDF bombing and ground operation have devastated large parts of the territory, killing nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
More than 2,000 people have been killed by Israeli attacks on Lebanon since October last year, according to Lebanese authorities on Tuesday. The IDF conducted another 26 airstrikes on Beirut throughout the day, local news reported.