Israel reportedly targeted the presumed successor to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in a heavy airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs around midnight Thursday, just under a week after the head of the terror group was killed in an Israeli attack, APA reports citing the Times of Israel.
Both the Axios news site and The New York Times identified Hashem Safieddine as the target of the strike, with the latter outlet citing three Israeli officials saying he was attending a meeting with other senior Hezbollah leaders in an underground bunker.
It was unclear if Safieddine was harmed in the strike.
The IDF said Friday morning that the airstrike in Beirut targeted Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters. The military did not disclose who was at the underground bunker.
There was no immediate reaction from Hezbollah.
As head of the executive council, Safieddine oversees Hezbollah’s political affairs. He also sits on the Jihad Council, which manages the group’s military operations.
***09:02
An Israeli strike on Beirut targeted senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said in a post on social media platform X early on Friday, citing an Israeli source, APA reports citing Reuters.
Safieddine is the man widely regarded as the heir of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Reuters could not confirm the information in the social media post and there was no immediate official statement from any side.