The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed today, Tuesday, October 22, that a high-ranking Hezbollah leader, Hashem Safieddine, was killed in an airstrike in Beirut.  Safieddine, who was being seen as the likely successor to the slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, was "eliminated" in a precision strike by Israeli forces, along with other high-ranking members of the group.

What triggers the Strike?

The Israeli military disclosed an operation targeting Hezbollah leadership headquarters that took place three weeks ago in a southern suburb of Beirut known as Dahiyeh, which is the stronghold of Hezbollah. The strike was conducted based on precise intelligence.  

An IDF statement said, "It can now be confirmed that in an attack approximately three weeks ago, Hashem Safieddine, the head of Hezbollah's Executive Council, and Ali Hussein Hazima, the head of Hezbollah's Intelligence Directorate, were killed along with other Hezbollah commanders."

The airstrike also reportedly targeted Hezbollah’s main intelligence headquarters, killing over 25 terrorists, including Bilal Saib Aish, who was responsible for the group's aerial intelligence operations.

 

Who was Hashem Safieddine?

 

Safieddine, in his late 50s or early 60s, had emerged as a frontrunner to succeed Hassan Nasrallah since he had very strong ties with Tehran, and thus with Iran. His leadership role and influence within Hezbollah made him a key figure in the group, which is heavily backed by Tehran. Resembling his distant cousin Nasrallah, Safieddine had been positioned to take over Hezbollah in the event of Nasrallah’s death.

 

Netanyahu and Israeli leadership on the strike

 

During an earlier speech on October 8, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the Israeli forces had eliminated "thousands of terrorists, including (Hezbollah leader Hassan) Nasrallah himself and Nasrallah's replacement and the replacement of his replacement."

Confirming the success of the operation, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said late on Tuesday, "We have reached Nasrallah, his replacement, and most of Hezbollah's senior leadership."

Hezbollah has not commented officially yet on the Israeli claims about Safieddine's death. The silence from the group is notable given the figure in question and profile.

 

Escalating Middle East tensions

 

The strike occurs in a period of developing complexity and magnitude of the Middle East crisis. The war between Israel and Gaza, with its second anniversary on October 7, 2024, has managed to incorporate parts of regional players like Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthi rebels, and Iran into its fold. With Safieddine's death, further military exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah are bound to occur, making the already highly unstable scenario in the region even more so.