Hezbollah has confirmed the cleric tipped to become the group's next leader was killed in an Israeli air strike nearly three weeks ago.
The Israeli military said on Tuesday night that it killed Hashem Safieddine in a strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah put out a statement saying it was mourning “a great leader and a great martyr” who lived an “honourable life”.
Safieddine was head of the group's executive council and was a cousin of its late secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli air strike on the Lebanese capital on 27 September.
Following Nasrallah’s death, Saffiedine had taken a leadership role within Hezbollah, and was expected to be formally elected as its next secretary general, although no official announcement had yet been made.
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