A source in the Hezbollah party denied on Thursday what the Israeli Defense Minister announced about killing half of the party's leaders in southern Lebanon.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement on Wednesday that "half of Hezbollah's leaders in southern Lebanon" had been "eliminated," noting that the other half "is hiding and leaving the field to our forces' operations."

A Hezbollah source told Agence France-Presse, "This is untrue and has no value; its goal is to boost the morale of the 'collapsing' army," referring to the Israeli army.

The source added that the number of those killed who hold "specific responsibilities" within Hezbollah "does not exceed the fingers of a hand."