Israel acknowledges the demise of Nasrallah's most promising prospective heir.
Following the alleged demise of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah's successor candidate, Haschim Safi al-Din, Israel's military claims responsibility. This high-ranking Hezbollah official was reportedly "taken out" in Beirut around a month ago, as per Israeli military's statement. Furthermore, the head of Hezbollah's intelligence service, Ali Hussein Hasima, was also said to have met his end. Hasima was believed to be orchestrating numerous assaults on Israeli troops.
Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shiite militia, has yet to confirm the fatalities of both individuals. According to sources, Safi al-Din perished in an attack targeting Hezbollah's intelligence service headquarters in a Beirut suburb. A member of Hezbollah's revered Shura Council, the man played a crucial role in the terrorist organization's decision-making and political guidance.
Safi al-Din, Nasrallah's relative
As head of the Executive Council, Safi al-Din held significant sway within Hezbollah's leadership. Known as Nasrallah's maternal cousin, Safi al-Din was also reportedly the father-in-law of the powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, who fell victim to a US drone strike in Iraq in 2020. In Nasrallah's absence from Lebanon, Safi al-Din reportedly assumed the role of Hezbollah's secretary-general. He was accused of masterminding terrorist activities against Israel.
Safi al-Din, believed to be around 60 years old, hails from the Lebanese village of Dair Kanun al-Nahr. His alleged training in Iran dates back to the 1980s. In 2008, he rose to prominence as the head of the Executive Council, presiding over Hezbollah's political, organizational, and social aspects.
Unlike the reclusive Nasrallah, whose whereabouts were under wraps, Safi al-Din remained publicly active at Hezbollah events until his purported demise. In mid-June, he delivered a eulogy at a militia commander's funeral. Following a series of explosions decimating Hezbollah's communication devices elsewhere in Beirut two weeks prior, Safi al-Din threatened revenge against Israel in a rousing speech.
Safi al-Din linked to US military attack
Israeli military operations have primarily targeted military commanders rather than high-ranking political figures within Hezbollah. Israel has also claimed responsibility for the assassination of previous leader Abbas al-Mussawi in 1992, whom Nasrallah succeeded.
The US and Saudi Arabia designated Safi al-Din a terrorist in 2017. They hold him accountable, among other things, for the catastrophic suicide bombing on the US Marine Corps headquarters in Beirut in 1983, which resulted in the loss of 241 American soldiers. He is also alleged to have gone by the name Safieddine in certain reports.
Despite the estimated losses sustained by Hezbollah, the militia is predicted to carry on its ongoing conflict with Israel, though potentially at a weakened capacity. In 2021, Safi al-Din vowed, "It may require one war, two wars, or three wars, as well as multiple confrontations, but in the end, Israel must be demolished and brought to its end."
The killing of Safi al-Din, Nasrallah's maternal cousin and Hezbollah's former acting secretary-general, has yet to be officially confirmed by the organization. According to Israeli military claims, Safi al-Din was allegedly responsible for masterminding terrorist activities against Israel.
