Hashem Safieddine, a senior Hezbollah chief as soon as presumed inheritor of assassinated cleric Hassan Nasrallah, was once the objective of an Israeli strike in Lebanon, Israeli and U.S. media reported on Thursday.Safieddine was once in a Beirut bunker struck through Israeli airplane on Wednesday, Axios reported, bringing up unnamed Israeli officers. The New York Occasions additionally cited Israeli officers with out naming them in its account of the assault within the Lebanese capital, whilst Israeli media cited Lebanese officers. Not one of the experiences made transparent whether or not Safieddine were killed.Newsweek contacted the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) for remark.Israel has lately decimated the management of Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Lebanese crew that was once as soon as probably the most robust drive in Tehran’s “Axis of Resistance” that stretches from Syria to the Persian Gulf.Per week in the past, Israel killed Nasrallah in a devastating blow to Iran, depriving the proxy community of its most famed and charismatic chief.The IDF introduced a floor invasion of Lebanon this week, whilst Iran introduced a barrage of missiles at Israel.Thursday’s obvious focused assault on Safieddine passed off as Iran braced for a reaction to its missile assault, with Israeli Top Minister Benjamin Netanyahu having warned that Iran would “pay” for the bombardment.Safieddine is a cousin of Nasrallah and regarded as a most probably successor. He’s additionally married to the daughter of deceased Iranian Quds Power commander Qasem Soleimani, who was once killed in a 2020 U.S. drone strike in Iraq.His brother is Abdallah Safieddine, an influential determine in Hezbollah who leads the gang’s operations in Iran.In 2017, the U.S. Division of State designated Hashem Safieddine a terrorist because of his ties to Hezbollah. Safieddine was once one in every of Hezbollah’s earliest participants and has been the chief of the gang’s government council for greater than 20 years.Mohammad Ali al-Husseini, a former Hezbollah member who now incessantly criticizes the gang, reportedly described Safieddine as extra “bloodthirsty” than Nasrallah throughout a contemporary interview on Saudi Arabian state tv.”If Hassan Nasrallah was once a pleasing personality who was once simple to maintain through the ones round him, Hashem Safieddine has an assertive and cussed persona, and I’d even pass so far as to mention bloodthirsty,” al-Husseini advised Saudi Al Arabiya, in keeping with Agence France-Presse.Center East tensions have escalated in fresh weeks because of the heightened warfare between Israel and Hezbollah, which has been launching cross-border assaults on Israel throughout lots of the ongoing struggle in Gaza.The struggle, which reaches its 1-year mark on Monday, was once introduced when the Gaza-based militant crew Hamas, additionally sponsored through Iran, introduced a wonder assault on Israel.Iran’s direct engagement with Israel has brought on considerations of a bigger struggle erupting within the area, in all probability together with assaults on oil and fuel manufacturing infrastructure and Iran’s nuclear websites.Israel additionally has an arsenal of nuclear guns, whilst Iran is assumed through some to be clandestinely growing the guns.
Hezbollah chief Hashem Safieddine is pictured in Beirut on Might 24. A Thursday evening Israeli airstrike at the Lebanese capital reportedly focused Safieddine, a most probably successor to Hassan Nasrallah, who was once killed in an Israeli…
Hezbollah chief Hashem Safieddine is pictured in Beirut on Might 24. A Thursday evening Israeli airstrike at the Lebanese capital reportedly focused Safieddine, a most probably successor to Hassan Nasrallah, who was once killed in an Israeli assault remaining week.
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ANWAR AMRO/AFP
Replace 10/03/24, 11 p.m.: This newsletter has been up to date with additional data.
