An Israeli airstrike in Beirut reportedly targeted senior Hezbollah figure Hashem Safieddine, who is seen as the likely successor to the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, according to sources cited by Reuters. However, there has been no official confirmation from either the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) or Hezbollah.

The airstrike occurred around midnight on Thursday and was one of the most intense bombardments in the region since Nasrallah's death, as reported by The New York Times. Safieddine was allegedly attending a high-level Hezbollah meeting in an underground bunker at the time. Axios, referencing Lebanese media, noted that the scale of the strike surpassed the one that killed Nasrallah, though the exact number of casualties remains unclear.

Safieddine, a cousin of Nasrallah, plays a central role in Hezbollah’s political and military activities. He has been labeled a terrorist by the United States since 2017 and is a member of Hezbollah’s Jihad Council, which oversees its military operations. He is also closely connected to the Iranian regime and has held various high-ranking positions within Hezbollah, some of which are kept relatively low-profile.

In addition to the strike on Safieddine, Israeli forces claimed responsibility for the death of another Hezbollah leader, Mohammed Anisi, who was reportedly involved in the group’s missile development program. This strike targeted Hezbollah’s intelligence branch in Beirut. However, Hezbollah has not responded to these claims.

Thursday’s strikes triggered massive explosions in Beirut’s southern suburbs, resulting in significant destruction, with several casualties reported. Buildings across the city were affected by the force of the blasts, as Israel continues to escalate its offensive against Hezbollah.