An Israeli strike in Beirut targeted senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, who is widely seen as the potential successor to the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, according to Reuters sources. However, no official statements have been made by either the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) or Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Israeli assault began with a heavy barrage of airstrikes around midnight on Thursday, likely while Safieddine was attending a meeting with senior Hezbollah officials in an underground bunker, as reported by The New York Times. This bombardment marked one of the most intense attacks in the area since Israel’s operation that killed Nasrallah.
According to Axios, referencing Lebanese media, this strike was considerably larger than the one that resulted in Nasrallah’s death, although the exact number of casualties remains unknown.
Designated a terrorist by the United States in 2017, Safieddine plays a crucial role in Hezbollah’s political activities and is a member of the group’s Jihad Council, which oversees its military operations. A cousin of Nasrallah, he is typically regarded as Hezbollah’s second-in-command and maintains close ties with the Iranian regime.
Nasrallah had appointed Safieddine to several influential positions within Hezbollah’s councils, including some of a more discreet nature. He has also served as a spokesperson for the group on various occasions.
In addition, Israel has claimed responsibility for the recent airstrike that killed another senior Hezbollah official, Mohammed Anisi, who was involved in the development of precision-guided missiles for the group, targeting Hezbollah’s intelligence branch in Beirut.
Hezbollah has yet to comment on the Israeli military’s assertions.
On Thursday, a series of massive explosions rocked Beirut’s southern suburbs, resulting in multiple fatalities and causing buildings several kilometers away in the Lebanese capital to shake, as Israel intensified its offensive against Hezbollah.
