Israel confirmed on Tuesday that it had killed Hashem Safieddine, the successor to the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who died in an Israeli airstrike last month. The military revealed that Safieddine was killed in a strike three weeks ago in the southern suburbs of Beirut, marking the first official confirmation of his death. Earlier in the month, Israel had suggested his likely elimination.
Hezbollah has not yet responded to Israel’s announcement regarding Safieddine’s death. Israeli army chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi stated, “We have targeted Nasrallah, his successor, and most of Hezbollah’s senior leadership. We will pursue anyone threatening the security of Israeli civilians.”
Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon has intensified after a year of clashes along the border with Hezbollah, the most heavily armed of Iran’s proxies in the region. Hezbollah, supporting Hamas in its conflict with Israel in Gaza, has suffered significant losses in recent weeks, with several top commanders killed in Israeli airstrikes.
A relative of Nasrallah, Safieddine was a member of Hezbollah’s Jihad Council, overseeing military operations, and held a key position in the executive council, managing financial and administrative matters. He took on a more public role in Hezbollah during the past year, frequently appearing at funerals and events in place of Nasrallah, who had avoided public appearances due to security concerns.
Israel’s operations in Gaza and Lebanon have shown no signs of slowing, even after the deaths of key leaders in Hamas and Hezbollah, including Nasrallah in an airstrike on September 27. Diplomatic sources suggest Israel is aiming to strengthen its position ahead of the U.S. presidential election on November 5, which pits Vice President Kamala Harris against former President Donald Trump.
