Hashem Safieddine, who was seen to be the most likely successor to Hassan Nasrallah as the main head of the Shia Muslim militant Islamist organization following Nasrallah’s assassination last month, has been verified killed by the Israeli military.
The Israeli military stated in a statement that Hashem Safieddine and Ali Hussein Hazima, the leader of the militant group’s intelligence division, were killed three weeks ago in strikes in the Dahiyeh district.
A gathering of senior Hezbollah commanders was the target of the airstrike. It was one of the most intense bombardments to strike the Dahiya since Hassan Nasrallah, the longtime leader of Hezbollah, was murdered on September 27 in an Israeli attack.
According to reports, Safieddine was chosen a few years ago to succeed Nasrallah as president of the executive council, Hezbollah’s highest political decision-making body.
He was the former secretary general’s relative as well. His fate was unclear following the October 3 Israeli raids on Dahiyeh, which Israel said were directed at an underground bunker where the senior leader resided.
Rescue workers were apparently unable to reach the bombing site, and Hezbollah had reportedly been unable to re-establish communication with Safieddine since the strike.
With Safieddine’s death, the only member of Hezbollah’s senior leadership still in the public eye is Naim Qassem, the organization’s deputy secretary general.
The group’s spokesperson following Nasrallah’s murder has been Qassem.
Hezbollah is in disarray after many of its top officials were killed in Israeli bombings in recent months.
Tuesday saw a barrage of new airstrikes hit the area of Beirut where Safieddine was slain. A structure in the Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh that the Israeli military said contained Hezbollah capabilities was demolished.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
