Israel says it killed a Hezbollah official expected to be the group’s next leader [Video]

Israel said Tuesday that one of its airstrikes outside Beirut earlier this month killed a Hezbollah official widely expected to replace the militant group’s longtime leader, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike last month.There was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah about the fate of Hashem Safieddine, a powerful cleric who was expected to succeed Hassan Nasrallah, one of the group’s founders.Safieddine was killed in early October in a strike that also killed 25 other Hezbollah leaders, according to Israel, whose airstrikes in southern Lebanon in recent months have killed many of Hezbollah’s top leaders, leaving the group in disarray.Last week, Israel killed the top leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, during a battle in Gaza.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday during a trip to Israel that leaders there should “capitalize” on Sinwar’s death as an opportunity to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of hostages …