The Israeli army successfully assassinated Hashem Safieddine, the likely successor to Hezbollah’s veteran Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, whom Israel had also killed just two weeks ago. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Safieddine’s death in a statement made on the evening of October 8.
“We succeeded in assassinating Hassan Nasrallah, his heir (Hashem Safieddine), and his heir’s successor (unnamed),” Netanyahu stated. This marks the first official Israeli acknowledgment of Safieddine’s assassination, who before succeeding Nasrallah was the second highest-ranking figure in Hezbollah and head of its Executive Council.
Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had suggested that Safieddine had likely been killed. The Hezbollah leader was targeted in a series of Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburb on October 4. These strikes, part of a broader escalation, are aimed at neutralizing key Hezbollah figures, with Safieddine’s death now confirmed after days of uncertainty.
Hashem Safieddine, a cousin of Hezbollah’s previous Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and an in-law of Qasem Soleimani, bears a striking resemblance to Nasrallah and has been groomed as his successor since 1994. After returning to Beirut from Qom, where he pursued religious studies, Safieddine took on the leadership of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, often referred to as the organization’s governing body. For three decades, he operated as Nasrallah’s shadow and second-in-command, managing the group’s daily affairs. This included overseeing Hezbollah’s institutions, finances, and investments both within and outside Lebanon.
Safieddine’s influence extends deeply into Hezbollah’s armed wing, making him one of its key figures. Reports from Asharq Al-Awsat indicate that his name was floated in Iranian media as Nasrallah’s successor as early as 2008. However, insiders within Hezbollah suggest that the decision had been made much earlier, as far back as 1994.
According to a former Hezbollah leader, Safieddine’s selection was confirmed during that time. The same outlet also reported that Safieddine, along with his cousin Nasrallah and Nabil Qaouq—who was once Safieddine’s deputy and was killed by Israel on September 28—were under the patronage of Hezbollah’s military mastermind, Imad Mughniyeh. It is believed that Mughniyeh was responsible for sending the trio to Qom and facilitating their journey and studies there. Israeli Mossad and the CIA assassinated Mughniyeh in Lebanon in 2008.
Hashem Safieddine cultivated close ties with the Iranian leadership during his studies in Qom, a relationship further solidified through his son’s marriage to a member of Qassem Soleimani’s family and his brother’s prominent role as Hezbollah’s chief representative in Iran.
Mohammad Ali Husseini, who claims to have maintained a close relationship with Safieddine for over 25 years, remarked, “Hassan Nasrallah approaches matters with ease, humility, and is approachable in a smooth, unhurried manner, not given to rigidness. In contrast, Hashem Safieddine is a figure of strict discipline and decisiveness, with a relentless appetite for bloodshed.” Husseini added that from the moment senior Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri was assassinatedin January 2024, Safieddine urged Hassan Nasrallah to retaliate by striking Tel Aviv.
With Safieddine widely regarded as Nasrallah’s likely successor, uncertainty now surrounds the question of who might fill that role. It is plausible that the successor referred to in Netanyahu’s statement was Nabil Qaouq, and with his elimination last week, Hezbollah has yet to provide credible information regarding its strategy for managing the post-Nasrallah era.
While the organization has not officially confirmed Safieddine’s death, it is notable that Hezbollah has not reported any casualties since September 28—a surprising departure from their usual transparency in documenting losses within their ranks. Despite Safieddine’s presumed death, it is unlikely to have an immediate impact on Hezbollah’s daily military operations, as demonstrated by their ability to maintain an average of approximately 100 rocket launches per day in the past week.
The details of who was present with Safieddine during the meeting where he was assassinated remain unclear, though such information could offer critical insights into who might emerge as the next Secretary General. Some reports suggest that Ibrahim Amine Al Sayed, head of Hezbollah’s political council, has likely assumed Safieddine’s role and is now acting as the group’s highest-ranking official. However, conflicting reports indicate that Hezbollah is hesitant to officially appoint a new Secretary General, fearing that doing so might invite an Israeli assassination attempt on the designated successor.
