The Israeli military has confirmed the killing of Hashem Safieddine, who was considered the likely successor to Hassan Nasrallah as the top leader of Hezbollah, following Nasrallah's assassination last month. The military stated that strikes in the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut resulted in the deaths of Safieddine and Ali Hussein Hazima, head of Hezbollah’s intelligence branch, three weeks ago.
The airstrike targeted a meeting of senior Hezbollah leaders and represented one of the heaviest bombardments in the Dahiyeh area since Nasrallah was killed on September 27. Safieddine had been the head of Hezbollah’s highest political decision-making body, the executive council, and was reportedly selected as Nasrallah’s successor several years prior. He was also a cousin of the former secretary general.
Following the Israeli strikes on October 3, Safieddine's fate remained uncertain, with reports indicating that Hezbollah could not re-establish communication with him. Rescue workers were also reportedly barred from accessing the bombing site.
With the death of Safieddine, only Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy secretary general, remains from the group's prominent leadership. Qassem has since become the public face of Hezbollah following Nasrallah's assassination.
Israeli military operations in recent months have significantly impacted Hezbollah’s top leadership, leaving the organization in a state of disarray. The area where Safieddine was killed experienced further airstrikes on Tuesday, with the Israeli military targeting a building in Dahiyeh that it claimed housed Hezbollah facilities.