Israel has confirmed the death of Hashem Safieddine, a senior Hezbollah leader and the presumed successor to Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, in an airstrike on southern Beirut. The Israeli military stated that the strike, conducted on October 3 in the Dahiyeh suburb, targeted an underground bunker housing Safieddine and other Hezbollah leaders. The attack also killed Ali Hussein Hazima, head of Hezbollah’s intelligence branch, along with approximately 25 other Hezbollah officials.
Hashem Safieddine, Nasrallah’s replacement and the father in law of late IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani’s daughter, eliminated by the IDF in an airstrike🔥🔥#Israel is bombing the hell out of #Beirut pic.twitter.com/rlXAQrdgGl
— The Jaipur Dialogues (@JaipurDialogues) October 4, 2024
Safieddine, a prominent figure within Hezbollah’s leadership, had been widely expected to take over as the group’s next secretary general following Nasrallah’s assassination. As head of Hezbollah’s executive council, Safieddine was responsible for overseeing the group’s financial and administrative operations. He had also played a key role in Hezbollah’s military and political strategies, particularly during its ongoing conflict with Israel.
Hezbollah confirmed Safieddine’s death on October 23. His killing comes amid intensified Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah strongholds in the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon. Hezbollah fighters have been engaged in daily clashes with Israeli troops along the border, with Israel aiming to weaken Hezbollah’s infrastructure and prevent cross-border attacks.
The death of Safieddine marks a significant blow to Hezbollah’s leadership, further eroding the group’s senior ranks. Israeli strikes over the past few months have decimated much of Hezbollah’s top military command. Only Naim Qassem, the group’s deputy secretary general, remains from the public-facing senior leadership. Despite these losses, Hezbollah has claimed it maintains its organizational strength and continues to resist Israeli ground incursions.
Safieddine was born in southern Lebanon in 1964 and was a founding member of Hezbollah. He had longstanding ties to Iran, spending years in the religious city of Qom. He was also a cousin of Nasrallah and had familial connections to Qasem Soleimani, the former Iranian Quds Force commander, through marriage. In 2017, the U.S. designated Safieddine as a terrorist for his involvement in Hezbollah’s operations.
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