The Israeli military announced Safieddine's death on Tuesday night, stating that he was targeted in a strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut. Hezbollah mourned him as a "great leader and martyr" who lived an "honorable life."
Safieddine, head of Hezbollah's executive council and cousin to the late Hassan Nasrallah, had taken on a leadership role after Nasrallah's death in an Israeli airstrike on Sept. 27. He was widely anticipated to be the group's next secretary general, although this had not been officially declared.
Israel launched a series of airstrikes near Beirut's airport on Oct. 4, after which Hezbollah lost contact with Safieddine. Israeli officials confirmed he was the target of the bombing. On Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that Safieddine and Ali Hussein Hazima, head of Hezbollah's Intelligence Headquarters, were killed in the airstrike. Safieddine had been accused of directing attacks against Israel and was involved in Hezbollah's leadership decisions.
Designated a "global terrorist" by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia in 2017, Safieddine had strong ties to Iran, having studied there and through his family connection to Iranian commander Gen. Qasem Soleimani, killed by a U.S. airstrike in 2020.
Hezbollah has been engaged in ongoing conflict with Israel, with thousands of rockets and drones launched against Israeli targets. Lebanon has suffered significant losses, with over 2,500 people killed and nearly 12,000 injured over the past year, according to Lebanese officials.
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