Yesterday, the IDF spokesman confirmed that in an attack about three weeks ago, Hashem Safieddine and Hussein Ali Hazima were killed in Beirut, along with other commanders in Hezbollah.
Safieddine was a member of the Shura Council, Hezbollah's most senior military-political forum, which is responsible for making decisions and forming policies.
He was Hassan Nasrallah's cousin, and due to his family and close relationship to Nasrallah, strongly influenced decisions on a variety of issues and at times when Nasrallah was out of Lebanon, filled his place and served as Secretary General of Hezbollah.
Safieddine died alongside Hussein Ali Hazima, the group's intelligence chief, when Israeli fighter jets targeted an underground intelligence headquarters in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyeh. The IDF reported that over 25 members of Hezbollah's intelligence division were present during the strike.
"We reached Nasrallah, his replacement, and most of Hezbollah's leadership. We will know how to reach anyone who threatens the security of Israel's citizens," said IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.
Safieddine, designated as a terrorist by the U.S. State Department in 2017, was Nasrallah's cousin and a prominent cleric within the organization. He had increasingly become the public face of Hezbollah over the past year, notably being the first official to speak after Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel.
While the IDF has confirmed Safieddine's death, Hezbollah has not yet made any announcement regarding his status.
