Israel Confirms Killing of Hashem Safieddine, Likely Successor to Hezbollah Leadership

The Israeli military has confirmed the death of Hashem Safieddine, who was seen as the likely successor to Hassan Nasrallah as the leader of Hezbollah following Nasrallah’s assassination last month.

In a statement, the Israeli military reported that strikes in the Dahiyeh suburb resulted in the deaths of both Safieddine and Ali Hussein Hazima, the head of Hezbollah’s intelligence branch, three weeks ago.

The airstrike targeted a meeting of senior Hezbollah leaders and marked one of the heaviest bombardments in Dahiyeh since the assassination of Nasrallah on September 27.

Safieddine was the head of Hezbollah’s executive council, the group’s top political decision-making body, and was believed to have been chosen as Nasrallah’s successor several years prior. He was also a cousin of the former leader.

His fate remained uncertain after Israeli strikes on Dahiyeh on October 3, which targeted an underground bunker where Safieddine was believed to be located.

Reports indicate that Hezbollah has struggled to re-establish contact with him since the strike, and rescue workers were unable to access the bombing site.

With Safieddine’s death, only Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy secretary general, remains from the group’s visible senior leadership. Qassem has been the public face of Hezbollah since Nasrallah’s assassination.

In recent months, Israeli strikes have decimated much of Hezbollah’s top leadership, leaving the group in turmoil.

The Dahiyeh area where Safieddine was killed experienced further airstrikes on Tuesday, with the Israeli military destroying a building it claimed housed Hezbollah facilities.