Hezbollah has lost contact with senior leader Hashem Safieddine after an Israeli air strike targeted Beirut’s Dahiyeh neighborhood. Safieddine, who was seen as a potential successor to slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, was reportedly inside Hezbollah’s underground intelligence headquarters during the attack. Lebanese officials are urgently trying to retrieve bodies from the strike.
Safieddine’s disappearance raises questions about succession within Hezbollah, as he was a high-ranking member and a cousin of Nasrallah. The lack of contact with him also suggests an intelligence breach within the group, allowing Israel to target its leaders.
Analysts view the loss of contact with Safieddine as a significant setback for Hezbollah, potentially leading to an announcement of his confirmed death. Israel continues to target Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, launching both air strikes and a limited ground operation in the southern part of the country.
The ongoing conflict has led to over 2,000 deaths and forced 1.2 million people to flee their homes, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health. Israeli forces have reported nine soldiers killed in ground clashes with Hezbollah fighters. The situation remains tense as both sides continue to engage in military action, with no official comments from Hezbollah on Safieddine’s status since the attack.
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