Baghdad/Beirut (Hatha Alyoum Iraq News) – Activists on social media have circulated images claimed to be broadcast by Israel's "Channel 14," showing a list of prominent leaders and figures in the Axis of Resistance that Israel allegedly seeks to assassinate.
The list reportedly includes Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Brigadier General Ismail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force, Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas, Sheikh Naim Qassem, Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, leader of Yemen's Ansar Allah, and Iraq's prominent cleric Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani.
This development comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Tuesday that Israeli airstrikes have killed two successors to Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah, amid Israel's expanded campaign against the Iran-backed group by deploying a fourth military division to southern Lebanon.
Netanyahu's comments came in a video released by his office, hours after Hezbollah's Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem hinted at the possibility of negotiating a ceasefire. Hezbollah has faced a series of targeted killings of its top commanders in Israeli airstrikes.
Netanyahu said, "We have undermined Hezbollah’s capabilities. We have eliminated thousands of terrorists, including (Hassan) Nasrallah himself, his successor, and his successor’s successor," without specifying the names of the latter.
Earlier today, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that Hashem Safi al-Din, believed to be a potential successor to the late Secretary-General Nasrallah, "has likely been eliminated." It remains unclear whom Netanyahu referred to as the "successor's successor." Later, Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that Israel was aware that Safi al-Din was present in a Hezbollah intelligence unit headquarters when it was bombed last week. He added that Safi al-Din's status "is being verified, and once confirmed, we will inform the public."
Safi al-Din has been unaccounted for since another airstrike late last week, as Israel escalates its assault following a year of cross-border clashes with Hezbollah, which has been engaging Israel in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza conflict.
Netanyahu remarked, "Today, Hezbollah is weaker than it has been in many years."
The Israeli military announced today that its intensive airstrikes over the past 24 hours on Hezbollah's underground facilities in southern Lebanon resulted in the deaths of at least 50 fighters, including six sector commanders and regional officials.
The escalating regional tensions began a year ago when the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) launched an attack from Gaza into southern Israel. The fighting has intensified in recent weeks, extending into Lebanese territory.
On October 1, Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel, warning today that it would retaliate if Israel carried out its threats of a response.
Iran’s foreign minister stated that any attack on the country's infrastructure would be met with a response, while a senior Iranian official warned Gulf countries that allowing their airspace to be used for such an attack would be "unacceptable" and would trigger a response.
Western countries are seeking a diplomatic resolution, fearing the potential expansion of the conflict in the Middle East.