Israel‘s military announced that it has eliminated three commanders of Hezbollah and approximately 70 fighters in southern Lebanon over the last 48 hours. This follows the confirmation of the death of Hashem Safieddine, who was considered the potential successor to the group’s leader.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated, “In southern Lebanon, our troops are engaged in limited, localized, and targeted operations against Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure and personnel.”

The IDF further reported that around 70 militants were neutralized through ground and aerial assaults in the past day.

On Wednesday, Israel extended its evacuation orders to several central neighborhoods in the southern Lebanese port city of Tyre, instructing residents to move northward.

This military campaign has intensified following a year of border skirmishes with Hezbollah, which is recognized as one of Iran’s most powerful proxy forces in the region.

The ongoing offensive has displaced at least 1.2 million Lebanese individuals and resulted in 2,530 fatalities, including at least 63 in the last 24 hours, according to the Lebanese government.

On Tuesday, the IDF confirmed the death of Hashem Safieddine, who was seen as the likely successor to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader who was killed in an Israeli operation last month. The military indicated that Safieddine was killed in a strike conducted three weeks ago in the southern suburbs of Beirut, marking the first official acknowledgment of his death. Earlier in the month, Israel had suggested that he was likely eliminated.

Hezbollah has not yet responded to Israel’s claim regarding the death of Safieddine. Israeli army chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi stated, “We have reached Nasrallah, his replacement, and most of Hezbollah’s senior leadership. We will reach anyone who threatens the security of the civilians of the State of Israel.”

Safieddine, a relative of Nasrallah, held significant positions within Hezbollah, including membership on its Jihad Council, which oversees military operations, and its executive council, which manages financial and administrative matters. Over the past year, he became a key spokesperson for Hezbollah, representing the group at funerals and events that Nasrallah could not attend due to security concerns.

Despite the assassination of several Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, including Nasrallah, who was killed in a September 27 airstrike, Israel has shown no signs of easing its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon.

Diplomatic sources indicate that Israel is seeking to establish a strong position before the transition to a new U.S. administration following the November 5 election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

On Wednesday, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced it had conducted two drone attacks on Israel’s port city of Eilat, targeting what it described as “vital” locations. However, the Israeli military reported intercepting both drones as they approached the waters near Eilat. The pro-Iranian militant group has vowed to intensify its attacks on Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians following the Hamas assault on October 7, 2023, which ignited the ongoing Gaza conflict. The Islamic Resistance, along with Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthi militia, and various Shi’ite armed groups in Iraq and Syria—collectively referred to as the “Axis of Resistance”—have committed to supporting the Palestinian cause.

BLINKEN’S MIDDLE EAST VISIT

The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday to leverage the recent death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to facilitate the release of hostages taken during the October 7 attacks and to bring an end to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. This visit marks Blinken’s 11th trip to the region since the outbreak of the Gaza war, occurring just before a presidential election that could significantly alter U.S. foreign policy.

In addition to addressing the situation in Gaza, Blinken aimed to mitigate tensions in Lebanon, where an Israeli airstrike near a major hospital in Beirut resulted in the deaths of at least 18 individuals, including four children, and left 60 others injured.

Blinken’s efforts to achieve progress on both fronts are expected to be challenging. He expressed U.S. optimism that Sinwar’s death, attributed to his role in orchestrating a year of intense conflict through the militant assault from Gaza, might open new avenues for peace.

Netanyahu’s office released a statement indicating that Sinwar’s removal could positively influence the return of hostages and the fulfillment of the war’s objectives, as well as considerations for the post-war scenario. However, there was no reference to a potential ceasefire, despite the significant degradation of Hamas’ military strength and the extensive destruction in Gaza, which has left most of its 2.3 million residents displaced.

Hamas has maintained its stance against releasing hostages taken during its incursion into Israel unless there is a commitment from Israel to cease hostilities and withdraw from the region. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has dismissed the possibility of negotiations while active conflict persists with Israel.