Presumed Hezbollah Successor Targeted in Heavy Israeli Airstrikes in Beirut

 

Israel has reportedly intensified its military operations in Lebanon, targeting high-ranking Hezbollah leaders, including Hashem Safieddine, the presumed successor to the group's slain chief, Hassan Nasrallah. The airstrike took place late Thursday in the southern suburbs of Beirut, known as Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold. The attack comes just days after Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli assault, sparking heightened tensions across the region.

According to multiple sources, including The New York Times and Axios, Safieddine was in an underground bunker attending a meeting with other senior Hezbollah figures at the time of the strike. While the extent of his injuries remains unclear, Israeli officials have confirmed that Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters were the primary target. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not disclosed whether Safieddine was directly affected by the strike.

Safieddine, a key figure in Hezbollah, oversees its political affairs and sits on the Jihad Council, which manages the group’s military operations. Designated a terrorist by the US in 2017, he is considered a likely successor to Nasrallah due to his close family ties and shared religious background. Safieddine's potential leadership would ensure continuity in Hezbollah’s militant strategies, as he is also a cleric who claims descent from the Prophet Mohammed.

The Thursday strike was part of a broader escalation in Israeli military operations against Hezbollah, following the group's repeated rocket attacks on northern Israel. In addition to targeting Safieddine, Israeli forces launched a series of airstrikes on southern Beirut and other Hezbollah strongholds, with at least 11 consecutive strikes reported. The strikes caused massive explosions and sent shockwaves across the Lebanese capital, forcing residents to evacuate parts of the district. The IDF had earlier warned civilians in areas like Burj al-Barajneh and Hadath to leave, stating that Hezbollah facilities were in imminent danger of attack.

Amid the escalating conflict, Hezbollah responded by firing over 200 rockets into Israel, further intensifying the situation. The Israeli military, now conducting limited ground operations in southern Lebanon, aims to dismantle Hezbollah's infrastructure in the region. So far, the conflict has claimed the lives of 26 Israeli civilians and at least 22 IDF soldiers, while more than 630 people have died in Lebanon, many of them civilians.

In the broader context, Israel’s military actions are part of a campaign to eliminate Hezbollah's command structure and reduce the group's capacity to support Hamas in Gaza. Following the October 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which killed nearly 1,200 Israelis and led to the abduction of over 250 people, Hezbollah escalated its attacks along the Israel-Lebanon border. The IDF has since focused on weakening Hezbollah’s hold in southern Lebanon to prevent a full-scale conflict along its northern border.

With the death of Nasrallah and the attempted assassination of Safieddine, Hezbollah’s leadership faces critical setbacks, but the group’s retaliation signals that the conflict is far from over.

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