Israel targets Hezbollah leader in intense Beirut airstrikes

Israel reportedly targeted the presumed successor to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in a heavy airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, just under a week after the head of the Hezbollah group was killed in an Israeli attack.

Hashem Safieddine was the target of the strike, with the latter outlet citing three Israeli officials saying he was attending a meeting with other senior Hezbollah leaders in an underground bunker.

As head of the executive council, Safieddine oversees Hezbollah’s political affairs. He also sits on the Jihad Council, which manages the group’s military operations.

Safieddine is a cousin of Nasrallah and like him is a cleric who wears the black turban denoting ostensible descent from Islam’s Prophet Mohammed.

Hashem Safieddine, reported to be the target in a major Israeli attack on Beirut is widely regarded as a possible successor to lead Hezbollah after the killing of Hassan Nasrallah late last month.

As head of the executive council, Safieddine oversees Hezbollah's political affairs. He also sits on the Jihad Council, which manages the group's military operations.

Safieddine's public statements often reflect Hezbollah's stance and its alignment with the Palestinian cause.

At a recent event in Dahiyeh, Hezbollah's stronghold in Beirut's southern suburbs, he declared, "Our history, our guns and our rockets are with you," in a show of solidarity with Palestinian fighters.

He has also been vocal in his criticism of U.S. policy. In response to American pressure on Hezbollah, he stated in 2017, "This mentally impeded, crazy U.S. administration headed by Trump will not be able to harm the resistance," asserting that such actions would only strengthen Hezbollah's resolve.