Hashem Safieddine, Top Hezbollah Leader, Reportedly Target of Israel Strike

Hashem Safieddine, a senior Hezbollah leader once presumed heir of assassinated cleric Hassan Nasrallah, was the target of an Israeli strike in Lebanon, Israeli and U.S. media reported on Thursday.

Safieddine was in a Beirut bunker struck by Israeli aircraft on Wednesday, Axios reported, citing unnamed Israeli officials. The New York Times also cited Israeli officials without naming them in its account of the attack in the Lebanese capital, while Israeli media cited Lebanese officials. None of the reports made clear whether Safieddine had been killed.

Newsweek contacted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.

Israel has recently decimated the leadership of Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Lebanese group that was once the most powerful force in Tehran's "Axis of Resistance" that stretches from Syria to the Persian Gulf.

A week ago, Israel killed Nasrallah in a devastating blow to Iran, depriving the proxy network of its most famous and charismatic leader.

The IDF launched a ground invasion of Lebanon this week, while Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel.

Thursday's apparent targeted attack on Safieddine occurred as Iran braced for a response to its missile attack, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu having warned that Iran would "pay" for the bombardment.

Safieddine is a cousin of Nasrallah and considered a likely successor. He is also married to the daughter of deceased Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a 2020 U.S. drone strike in Iraq.

His brother is Abdallah Safieddine, an influential figure in Hezbollah who leads the group's operations in Iran.

In 2017, the U.S. Department of State designated Hashem Safieddine a terrorist due to his ties to Hezbollah. Safieddine was one of Hezbollah's earliest members and has been the leader of the group's executive council for more than two decades.

Mohammad Ali al-Husseini, a former Hezbollah member who now frequently criticizes the group, reportedly described Safieddine as more "bloodthirsty" than Nasrallah during a recent interview on Saudi Arabian state television.

"If Hassan Nasrallah was a pleasant character who was easy to deal with by those around him, Hashem Safieddine has an assertive and stubborn personality, and I would even go as far as to say bloodthirsty," al-Husseini told Saudi Al Arabiya, according to Agence France-Presse.

Middle East tensions have escalated in recent weeks due to the heightened conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which has been launching cross-border attacks on Israel during most of the ongoing war in Gaza.

The war, which reaches its 1-year mark on Monday, was launched when the Gaza-based militant group Hamas, also backed by Iran, launched a surprise attack on Israel.

Iran's direct engagement with Israel has prompted concerns of a larger war erupting in the region, possibly including attacks on oil and gas production infrastructure and Iran's nuclear sites.

Israel also has an arsenal of nuclear weapons, while Iran is thought by some to be clandestinely developing the weapons.

Update 10/03/24, 11 p.m.: This article has been updated with further information.