Israeli security officials have confirmed that Hashem Safieddine, a senior Hezbollah leader and designated successor to Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut’s Dahieh quarter, Sky News Arabia reported on Saturday.
Safieddine, who headed Hezbollah’s Executive Council, was targeted during a significant bombardment on Hezbollah strongholds in the Lebanese capital.
The strike, which Lebanese security sources told Reuters had left Safieddine “unreachable,” coincided with rocket barrages from Lebanon that activated sirens across northern Israel, stretching from the Haifa region to the Lower and Upper Galilee. IDF strikes on the outskirts of Beirut reportedly hindered rescue teams from accessing the heavily targeted areas.
Saudi channel Al Hadath reported that, while Israel has not officially commented, sources confirmed Safieddine’s death, leaving "no possibility of survival." The strike is believed to have also killed several Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers and other Hezbollah field commanders.
Israeli intelligence sources told The New York Times that the attack targeted an underground bunker hosting senior Hezbollah figures, with reports suggesting Safieddine and the head of Hezbollah's intelligence department were present. Saudi networks raised concerns about the whereabouts of Quds Force Commander Ismail Qaani, although Iranian media later clarified he was not harmed in the strike.
The strike came minutes after the IDF announced the evacuation of several buildings in the Dahieh district. Neither Hezbollah nor Israel has officially commented on Safieddine’s death, a significant blow to the group and its ties to Tehran, where Safieddine had close connections, including being the son-in-law of slain Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.