Israeli forces have killed the would-be successors of late Hezbollah leader Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday, without naming them.
“We have decimated Hezbollah’s capabilities. We have killed thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself and Nasrallah’s replacements and replacements,” Mr Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video message.
Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said that Hashem Saffieddin, the man expected to replace the now-killed Nasrallah, had probably been “eliminated”. It was not immediately clear what Netanyahu meant by “replacement of replacements.”
“Today, Hezbollah is weaker than it has been for many years,” Mr Netanyahu said in a video message directed to the Lebanese people.
Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel last October 8, a day after Palestinian militants from Hamas attacked southern Israel from Gaza. Hezbollah cited solidarity with Hamas.
About 60,000 Israeli civilians have been forced to flee their homes in the north of the country, while Israel’s stated aim is to make its northern areas safe from Hezbollah rocket fire and allow those displaced residents to return.
Mr Netanyahu said, “Israel has the right to defend itself. Israel also has the right to conquer. And Israel will win.”
He urged Lebanon to “take back your country” and return it to the path of peace and prosperity and take advantage of an opportunity that has not existed for decades.
He said, “If you don’t do this, Hezbollah will continue to try to fight Israel in densely populated areas at your expense. It doesn’t care if Lebanon is dragged into a broader war.” “Christians, Druze, Muslims – Sunni and Shia – you all suffer because of Hezbollah’s meaningless war against Israel.
“Don’t let these terrorists destroy your future even more than before,” Mr Netanyahu said. “You have an opportunity to save Lebanon before it falls into the abyss of a protracted war that will lead to the destruction and suffering we see in Gaza. It doesn’t have to be that way.”
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