Israel confirms killing of Hezbollah successor Hashem Safieddine in airstrikes in Beirut

Israel has confirmed the killing of Hashem Safieddine, a senior Hezbollah leader and presumed successor to Hassan Nasrallah, in an airstrike in southern Beirut in early October.

Safieddine was chairman of Hezbollah's Executive Council and an important political figure.

The Israeli military announced Tuesday evening that airstrikes in the suburb of Dahiyeh three weeks earlier had killed Safieddine and Ali Hussein Hazima, the head of Hezbollah's intelligence division. The airstrike also killed 25 other leaders.

This blow to Hezbollah's leadership comes amid escalating fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, as well as ongoing airstrikes and clashes along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Hezbollah has not yet commented on Safieddine's death.

Following Safieddine's death, Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's deputy secretary general, is now the only remaining member of the group's publicly accessible senior leadership team. Qassem has represented Hezbollah since Nasrallah's assassination, but lacks the widespread popularity that the former secretary general enjoyed among his supporters.

“We have achieved it [Hassan] Nasrallah, his successor and most of Hezbollah's leadership. “We will know how to reach anyone who threatens the security of Israeli citizens,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said in a military statement The Times of Israel.

This was announced by a source close to Hezbollah AFP At the beginning of October it was said that Safieddine was the “most likely” candidate for party leadership.

The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel began after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on October 8, 2023, in “solidarity” with Hamas's attack on Israel the previous day. Since Israel launched Operation Northern Arrows on September 23, hostilities have sharply intensified.

Last year, more than 2,500 people were killed and over 11,850 injured in Lebanon.

Last week, Israel attacked and killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza.

On Monday evening, Israeli attacks in the greater Beirut area left 18 people dead, including four children, and 60 injured in an attack in Dahiyeh.