Israel-Hamas War Live Updates: Israel Confirms Assassination of Hezbollah Executive Council Head Hashem Safieddine, Nasrallah’s Presumptive Successor

The head of Hezbollah’s executive council, Safieddine, was believed to be Hassan Nasrallah’s successor after he was assassinated in September, The Times of Israel reported. According to IDF, Hashem was Hassan Nasrallah’s cousin.

According to the Israeli military, Safieddine was killed along with Hussein Ali Hazima, the commander of Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters, during the October 4 attack.

The airstrike targeted the underground headquarters of Hezbollah’s intelligence service in Beirut, as the Israeli army was “in the heart of a civilian population” in the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital, known as Dahiyeh.

The IDF said more than 25 members of Hezbollah’s intelligence wing, including other top commanders, were at its headquarters when the attack was carried out, The Times of Israel reported.

Safieddine had no contact since the strike. However, the IDF was able to confirm his death today. Hezbollah has not yet released a statement confirming his death, the report said. The US State Department had designated Hashem Safieddine as a terrorist in 2017.

In a statement shared on three weeks ago. Hashem Safieddine was a member of the Shura Council, Hezbollah’s highest military-political forum, responsible for decision-making and policymaking within the terrorist organization.

“Hashem was the cousin of Hassan Nasrallah, the former leader of Hezbollah, and had significant influence over decision-making within Hezbollah. During times when Nasrallah was absent from Lebanon, Hashem served as Secretary General of Hezbollah. Over the years, Safieddine led terrorist attacks on the State of Israel and participated in Hezbollah’s central decision-making processes. In addition to Hashem, terrorist Ali Hussein Hazima, the commander of Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters, was also eliminated. He was responsible for leading numerous attacks against IDF soldiers,” it added.

On September 28, the IDF confirmed the killing of Hassan Nasrallah during the airstrikes carried out by the Israeli army in Beirut. In a statement, the IDF said: “Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world.”

Nasrallah targeted Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh. According to the IDF, the headquarters are located underground, beneath residential buildings in the Dahiyeh.