On the night of 3 October 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out an airstrike on an underground bunker in Dahieh, a predominantly Shia Muslim suburb in the south of Beirut, Lebanon, where Hezbollah leaders, including Hashem Safieddine, had convened in the headquarters of Hezbollah's Intelligence Branch.[1][2] Safieddine was later confirmed dead by both the IDF and Hezbollah.[3][4]
Safieddine in 2020
Background
Hashem Safieddine was the cousin of and presumed successor to Hassan Nasrallah, who had been the leader of Hezbollah until he was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike on the Hezbollah headquarters on 27 September 2024. Safieddine, who was attending a meeting with senior Hezbollah officials at the time of the strike, was head of the Hezbollah executive council and the Jihad Council, which manages the group's military operations. Safieddine was designated a terrorist in May 2017 by the United StatesDepartment of State and Saudi Arabia for his leadership role in Hezbollah.[5][6] According to the IDF, there were more than 25 members of Hezbollah's intelligence division inside the command headquarters, including Saeb Ayyash, the air assembly officer in the intelligence division, and Mahmoud Muhammad Shahin, the Hezbollah intelligence division officer in the Syrian branch.[7]
Airstrike
In the wider context of the latest Israel–Hezbollah war, at least 11 consecutive bombings took place in Dahieh on that occasion, reportedly targeting a meeting taking place in an underground bunker and consisting of several senior Hezbollah officials, including Safieddine and the group's chief of intelligence, Hussein Ali Hazimeh.[8][1] It is unclear how many casualties were caused in the attack. The IDF said that the strikes targeted Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters.[9]
Around 73 tons of bombs were dropped on the bunker by the Israeli Air Force, and the strikes were reportedly larger than the attack that killed Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah on 27 September 2024.[9][10] Footage of the aftermath showed giant balls of flame rising from the bunker with thick smoke and flares bursting out. The attack emitted loud bangs and caused buildings to shake.[1]
Fate of Hashem Safieddine
According to the Israeli Channel 12, Israeli security officials were "increasingly confident" that Safieddine had been killed in the attack.[5]
On 5 October, a Lebanese security source reported that Hezbollah lost contact with Safieddine, and that Hezbollah has not heard from him since the airstrike.[11][12]
Al Arabiya and Al Hadath reported that Israel confirmed the assassination of Hashem Safieddine and all Hezbollah leaders that were with him.[13] On 8 October, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that Safieddine was likely "eliminated". The claim was later repeated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.[14][15][16] On 22 October, the IDF formally announced his killing along with Hussein Hazimeh and 24 other senior Hezbollah members.[17][4][18] Hezbollah confirmed Sadieddine's death the following day,[19] and confirmed Hazimeh's death two days later.[20]
Analysis
According to military analyst Elijah Magnier, the disappearance of Hashem Safieddine will not change Hezbollah's military strategy against Israel because "the team of special forces in the south of Lebanon are fighting independently of the political decision-making in Beirut".[21]
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