The Israeli military has claimed that they have eliminated Hashem Safieddine-- who was set to become the head of Hezbollah-- in a strike in Lebanon's capital city Beirut three weeks ago. Safieddine was the cousin of Hassan Nasrallah-- the former head of Hezbollah, who was killed in an Israeli strike last month.

“It can now be confirmed that in an attack approximately three weeks ago, Hashem Safieddine, the head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, and Ali Hussein Hazima, the head of Hezbollah’s Intelligence Directorate, were killed along with other Hezbollah commanders,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

Safieddine was also a member of the Shura Council, Hezbollah's highest military-political body, responsible for decision-making and setting the group's policies. Quoting a source close to Hezbollah, news agency AFP, early in October, reported that the deeply religious cleric Safieddine, who had good relations with Hezbollah backer Iran, was the “most likely” candidate for the party’s top job.

"We have reached Nasrallah, his successor, and most of Hezbollah's leadership," said Herzi Halevi, chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces. "We will know how to reach anyone who threatens the security of Israel's citizens."

"Over the years, Safieddine directed terrorist activities against Israel and was involved in Hezbollah's core decision-making," the IDF said.

Hezbollah has not yet issued a statement regarding the claim.

At times when Nasrallah was absent from Lebanon, Safieddine filled in for him and served as Hezbollah's Secretary-General, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post.

Safieddine was killed in a bombing carried out by Israeli warplanes on Beirut's southern suburb. The attack reportedly targeted a building where, according to Israel, Hezbollah's main underground intelligence headquarters were located. The Israeli military said that about 25 senior Hezbollah commanders were present in the building during the attack but did not clarify whether they survived, Xinhua news agency reported.