Hezbollah chief Nasrallah's successor Safieddine presumed killed in Israeli strike
Hashem Safieddine, the presumed successor of former Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, is believed to have been killed in an Israeli strike in southern Beirut on Friday. A Lebanese security source told Sky News Arabia that survival chances for anyone targeted in this strike were "almost zero." Another Lebanese security source told Reuters that Safieddine has been "unreachable" since Friday. The Israeli military said that the airstrike targeted Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters, but did not disclose who was in the underground bunker.
Israeli strikes hinder rescue efforts at attack site
According to three security officials, repeated Israeli strikes have prevented rescuers from searching the site where Safieddine was believed to be. Israeli media estimated that Safieddine was wounded in the attack, but there is still no official information regarding his fate. The assessment is that anyone in the underground complex would not make it out alive, including senior Hezbollah officials present in the complex.
Israeli strikes targeted senior Hezbollah officials' meeting
Israeli media reported that the strikes were an attempt to eliminate Safieddine in the Dahieh suburb of Beirut. Three Israeli officials told The New York Times on Saturday morning that these strikes targeted a meeting of senior Hezbollah officials, including Safieddine. Born in 1964 in Lebanon, Safieddine served as head of Hezbollah's executive council and was seen as a likely successor to Nasrallah.
Safieddine's family ties and political stance
Safieddine is Nasrallah's maternal cousin and the two top Hezbollah leaders had studied together in Iran in the early 1980s. Notably, Safieddine's son is married to the daughter of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US airstrike at Baghdad airport in 2020. Throughout the Gaza conflict, Safieddine made public statements condemning Israel's actions both in Gaza and along Lebanon's southern border.
