Israel the Death of Hashem Safi al-Din in Targeted Airstrikes on Beirut Suburbs

Israel the Death of Hashem Safi al-Din in Targeted Airstrikes on Beirut Suburbs
October 5, 2024, 11:16 am

هاشم صفي الدين

Sources from "Al Arabiya" and "Al Hadath" reported on Saturday that Israel has confirmed the death of Hashem Safi al-Din and all those who were with him as a result of Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs on Thursday evening.

Prior to that, the Israeli newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" reported that estimates indicate that everyone at the Hezbollah intelligence headquarters, which was targeted on Thursday evening in the southern suburbs of Beirut, was killed in the attack involving seventy-three tons of bombs.

The newspaper pointed out that the attack specifically targeted Hashem Safi al-Din, a candidate to succeed Hassan Nasrallah, adding that the head of the party's intelligence was also present at the time of the bombing.

According to the newspaper, the attack aimed at Hashem Safi al-Din, who is seen as a potential successor to Hassan Nasrallah in leading Hezbollah, and he was accompanied by the party's intelligence chief, known by the nickname "Murtada."

Mohammad Rashed Skafi, the commander of Hezbollah's communication systems, was also targeted, according to Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee.

The Israeli airstrike targeted a deeper location than the depth at which Nasrallah was killed, using seventy-three tons of explosives in the attack.

The newspaper suggests that there was no chance of survival from the attack due to the collapse of the shelter or the release of gases that could lead to suffocation.

Hashem Safi al-Din is a high-ranking leader in Hezbollah and currently serves as the head of the executive council in the party. He is the cousin of Nasrallah and resembles him in appearance but is considered more radical than him according to several sources.

He serves as an important link between Hezbollah and Iran, and he has family ties with decision-makers in Tehran, as his son, Rida, married Zainab, the daughter of former IRGC general Qassem Soleimani.

Hashem Safi al-Din’s brother, Abdullah, is Hezbollah's representative in Tehran.

Beginning in 2017, Washington classified Hashem Safi al-Din as a foreign terrorist.

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