Israel confirms death of Hashem Safieddine, likely successor to Hezbollah leadership

Israel has officially confirmed the death of Hashem Safieddine, believed to be the next leader of Hezbollah, following an airstrike in southern Beirut earlier this month.

In a statement released on October 22 evening, the Israeli military announced that strikes in the Dahiyeh suburb had resulted in the deaths of both Safieddine and Ali Hussein Hazima, head of Hezbollah’s intelligence branch, three weeks ago, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

This marks the first confirmation from Israel regarding the killing of such a senior political figure within Hezbollah since the former secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollah has yet to respond to Israel’s claims.

Safieddine, who led Hezbollah's executive council, was reportedly chosen as Nasrallah's successor several years ago. A cousin of the former secretary general, he shared much of the charisma that contributed to Nasrallah’s cult of personality.

Following Israeli airstrikes on October 3, which targeted an underground bunker where Safieddine was believed to be residing, his fate remained uncertain. Reports indicated that Hezbollah had lost contact with him after the strikes, and rescue teams were barred from accessing the bombing site.

With Safieddine’s death, Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's deputy secretary general, is now the only remaining public figure from the group's senior leadership. Qassem, who has been the group's face since Nasrallah's assassination, lacks the same level of popularity among Hezbollah supporters.

The future leadership of Hezbollah remains unclear. In a speech two weeks ago, Qassem noted that selecting a new leader is a complex process that will require time. Alongside the blows to its political leadership, Israel has also targeted and killed a significant number of Hezbollah’s senior military cadre over the past three months.

The strike that resulted in Safieddine's death also reportedly killed 25 other Hezbollah leaders. Last week, Israel also targeted Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza.

In related operations, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have eliminated approximately 70 Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon within the past 24 hours. These operations, supported by airstrikes and intelligence, successfully targeted underground infrastructure and weapons caches, including rockets and anti-tank missile systems. In the last 48 hours, three additional Hezbollah commanders were killed in the Dabshit, Joyya, and Qana sectors, all linked to numerous attacks on Israeli civilians.

Fighting began between Hezbollah and Israel after Hezbollah launched rockets against Israel on October 8, 2023, “in solidarity” with Hamas’s attack the day prior. Fighting has dramatically escalated since Israel launched “Operation Northern Arrows” on  September 23.

More than 2,500 people have been killed and more than 11,850 have been wounded in Lebanon over the past year.

By Tamilla Hasanova