Hezbollah's successor, Hashem Safieddine, goes 'unreachable' following Israeli Airstrikes in Beirut

Hashem Safieddine, who is set to succeed the late Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has been unreachable since an Israeli airstrike hit Beirut, Lebanon, on Friday. Sources told news agency Reuters that his current status is unclear.

The report also mentioned that continuous Israeli strikes on the Dahiyeh area in southern Beirut since Friday have prevented rescue workers from searching the site of the attack.

Late Thursday night, Israel carried out a series of powerful airstrikes on Beirut, one of the heaviest bombardments in the area since Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed. Reports suggest the strikes happened while Hashem Safieddine, a senior Hezbollah official and Nasrallah's successor, was in an underground bunker attending a meeting with other leaders. According to sources close to Hezbollah, Safieddine was seriously injured in the strikes.

Neither Hezbollah nor the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have confirmed whether Hashem Safieddine is dead or alive. Israeli Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani mentioned that the military is still evaluating the Thursday night airstrikes, which were aimed at Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters.

On Saturday, Israel intensified its military actions in Lebanon, launching its first strike on the northern city of Tripoli, according to a Lebanese security official. This recent attack followed a series of airstrikes on the suburbs of Beirut, while Israeli ground forces conducted raids in southern Lebanon.

Hashem Safieddine, designated a terrorist by the U.S., is a key leader in Hezbollah, involved in both its political and military activities. He is a cousin of Hassan Nasrallah and is viewed as the group's second-in-command, with strong connections to Iran. Safieddine is also a member of Hezbollah's Jihad Council.

Nasrallah assigned Safieddine many important roles within Hezbollah's leadership councils, including some lesser-known but strategically significant positions. He often serves as a spokesperson for Hezbollah, representing the group in various public statements.

Recently, many senior military leaders of Hezbollah, including secretary general Hassan Nasrallah, were killed in an airstrike at the group's headquarters in central Beirut on September 27.