Israel has killed Hezbollah’s ‘next leader’ in a fatal attack on a hidden bunker, the latest blow to the Iran-backed terror group.
Hashem Safieddine was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut in early October, the Israeli army announced today.
Safieddine was a powerful cleric within Hezbollah’s ranks and was expected to succeed Hassan Nasrallah.
According to Israel, Safieddine was killed in early October during their airstrikes in a southern suburb of Beirut.
About 25 other Hezbollah leaders were also reportedly killed in the airstrike.
Hashem Safieddine (pictured) was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut in early October, the Israeli army said today.
Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon this evening
As head of Hezbollah’s executive council, Safieddine oversaw the group’s political affairs. He also served on the Jiha Council, where he helped manage military affairs.
His key role in the terror group made him a prime target for Israel.
Safieddine was groomed for the leadership role by Nasrallah before he was also killed in an Israeli precision airstrike on Beirut.
He wore a black turban that indicated he was descended from the Islamic prophet Mohammed, and his physical resemblance to Nasrallah – who led Lebanon’s Shiite group for more than 30 years – also made him a favorite for the succession.
Safieddine comes from a prominent Lebanese Shia family and was born in the predominantly Shia south of the country.
He studied at religious seminaries in the Iranian city of Qom before returning to Lebanon in the 1990s to take on leadership responsibilities in the group.
Flames and smoke rise into the sky today after an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon
Safieddine had strong ties with Hezbollah supporters in Iran.
His son, Rida, was married to the daughter of the late Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, until he was killed by a US drone strike in Baghdad in 2020.
His brother, Abdullah, serves as Hezbollah’s representative in Tehran.
As head of the executive council, Safieddine played a role somewhat akin to that of prime minister of a government responsible for a range of Hezbollah institutions involved in healthcare, education, culture and construction, and other activities.
He led efforts to rebuild the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut after the group’s 2006 war with Israel, when parts of the area were flattened by Israeli airstrikes.
