Israel says it killed Hezbollah official expected to be the group’s next leader

An Israeli airstrike struck a building close to a Hezbollah press conference (Bilal Hussein/AP)

The Israeli military has said that one of its airstrikes outside Beirut earlier this month killed a top Hezbollah official who had been widely expected to be the group’s next leader.

There was no immediate confirmation from the militant group about the fate of Hashem Safieddine.