In a recent development related to Israel-Hezbollah conflict, Hashem Safieddine, widely believed to be the successor to Hezbollah’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has been out of contact since Friday.
He has been missing since Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, revealed Reuters citing Lebanese security source.
But, due to Ongoing Israeli airstrikes in the area, known as Dahiyeh, Lebanese authorities unable to confirm Safieddine’s status. So Far, Hezbollah hasn’t commented on the incident.
Notably, the potential loss of Safieddine, who has been groomed as Nasrallah’s successor, would be a significant blow to Hezbollah, as Israel’s intensified strikes over the past year have already decimated much of the group’s leadership. Nasrallah himself was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike on September 27.
What Happened So Far?
Meanwhile, Israel has ramped up its military actions in Lebanon, with its first strike in the northern city of Tripoli taking place on Saturday.
This follows a broader campaign targeting Hezbollah strongholds and sending ground troops into southern Lebanon. The conflict, which initially concentrated on the border between Israel and Lebanon, has since escalated, coinciding with Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza against Hamas.
Israel’s campaign aims to restore security in northern Israel, where tens of thousands of residents have been displaced by Hezbollah’s rocket attacks since October 8, 2023.
The airstrikes have claimed the lives of senior Hezbollah figures, as well as civilians, including rescue workers. Lebanese authorities report that 1.2 million people, almost a quarter of the population, have been forced to flee their homes.
Additionally, a Saturday airstrike in a Palestinian refugee camp in Tripoli killed a Hamas member, his wife, and their two children, according to Lebanese officials. Media linked to Hamas confirmed the death of one of its armed wing leaders in the strike.
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