Egypt Daily News – At the beginning of this month, Israeli aircraft conducted extensive air raids targeting southern suburbs of Beirut, with Israeli media suggesting that Hashem Safieddine, a prominent figure in Hezbollah and a leading candidate to succeed the organization’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, was a primary target. Reports indicated that substantial bomb payloads were dropped, aimed at precisely located underground positions associated with Safieddine.
As of now, Hezbollah has not confirmed whether Safieddine was killed in these attacks. Meanwhile, Israeli intelligence has assessed the operation as potentially successful, with speculation continuing in the media about his fate after the strikes on October 4.
Following these raids, communications with Safieddine reportedly were cut off, creating concerns for his safety.
Hezbollah has yet to release any formal statement regarding Safieddine’s status, leaving ambiguity around whether he survived. Notably, the Israeli army has hinted at successfully “eliminating” Safieddine, which would represent a significant setback for Hezbollah, particularly after the assassination of Nasrallah himself on September 27 by Israeli air strikes.
Safieddine, who has been integral to Hezbollah since its founding in 1982 and serving as the head of its Executive Council since 1994, is closely connected to the group’s leadership and has been positioned as a likely successor to Nasrallah.
He is known for his strong ties with Iran, a key supporter of Hezbollah, and has managed various aspects of the organization’s operations and finances.
His familial connection to Nasrallah, alongside his deep ties to Iranian military figures, amplifies the impact of his potential assassination. Experts suggest that this series of events may further complicate Hezbollah’s leadership dynamics and its ongoing engagements with Israel amidst escalating conflict in the region.
