Hezbollah has confirmed the death of Hashem Safieddine, a senior leader and potential successor to the group’s former chief, Hassan Nasrallah, following a series of Israeli airstrikes.
In a statement, Hezbollah expressed its commitment to continuing its resistance and jihad, vowing to achieve its objectives of freedom and victory in honor of Safieddine and other martyrs. Safieddine, who had been missing since an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s Dahiyeh neighborhood weeks ago, was reportedly killed in the attack. The Israeli military confirmed using bunker-buster bombs, similar to those employed in the September 27 strike that killed Nasrallah.
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Safieddine, who chaired Hezbollah’s Executive Council and was a cousin of Nasrallah, had only recently emerged as a likely successor. His death raises questions about Hezbollah’s leadership stability, with concerns over the group’s future direction. Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari noted that Hezbollah’s leadership remains largely unknown, further clouding the organization’s succession plans.
A Lebanese security source indicated a growing urgency among Lebanese and Hezbollah officials to recover bodies from the affected area after the attack.
