| Assassination of Hashem Safieddine | |
|---|---|
| Part of the2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and theIsrael–Hezbollah war (2023–present) | |
| Type | Airstrike |
| Location | Dahieh, Lebanon 33°51′5″N35°30′14″E / 33.85139°N 35.50389°E /33.85139; 35.50389 |
| Target | Hashem Safieddine |
| Date | 3 October 2024 |
| Executed by |  Israeli Air Force |
| Casualties | 26 Hezbollah officials killed, including Safieddine (per IDF) |
  Dahieh Location within Lebanon | |
On the night of 3 October 2024, theIsrael Defense Forces (IDF) carried out an airstrike on an underground bunker inDahieh, a predominantlyShia Muslim suburb in the south ofBeirut,Lebanon, whereHezbollah leaders, includingHashem Safieddine, had convened in the headquarters of Hezbollah's Intelligence Branch.[1][2] Safieddine was later confirmed dead by both the IDF and Hezbollah.[3][4]
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Hashem Safieddine was the cousin of and presumed successor toHassan Nasrallah, who had been the leader of Hezbollah until he was assassinated in anIsraeli airstrike on the Hezbollah headquarters on 27 September 2024. Safieddine, who was attending a meeting with seniorHezbollah officials at the time of the strike, was head of the Hezbollah executive council and theJihad Council, which manages the group's military operations. Safieddine was designated a terrorist in May 2017 by theUnited StatesDepartment of State andSaudi Arabia for his leadership role in Hezbollah.[5][6] According to the IDF, there were more than 25 members of Hezbollah's intelligence division inside the command headquarters, including Saeb Ayyash, the air assembly officer in the intelligence division, and Mahmoud Muhammad Shahin, the Hezbollah intelligence division officer in the Syrian branch.[7]
In the wider context of the latestIsrael–Hezbollah war, at least 11 consecutive bombings took place in Dahieh on that occasion, reportedly targeting a meeting taking place in an underground bunker and consisting of several senior Hezbollah officials, including Safieddine and the group's chief of intelligence,Hussein Ali Hazimeh.[8][1] It is unclear how many casualties were caused in the attack. The IDF said that the strikes targeted Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters.[9]
Around 73 tons of bombs were dropped on the bunker by theIsraeli Air Force, and the strikes were reportedly larger than theattack that killed Hezbollah secretary-generalHassan Nasrallah on 27 September 2024.[9][10] Footage of the aftermath showed large balls of flame rising from the bunker with thick smoke and flares bursting out. The attack emitted loud bangs and caused buildings to shake.[1]
According to the IsraeliChannel 12, Israeli security officials were "increasingly confident" that Safieddine had been killed in the attack.[5]
On 5 October, a Lebanese security source reported that Hezbollah lost contact with Safieddine, and that Hezbollah has not heard from him since the airstrike.[11][12]
Al Arabiya andAl Hadath reported that Israel confirmed the assassination of Hashem Safieddine and all Hezbollah leaders that were with him.[13] On 8 October, Israeli Defense MinisterYoav Gallant stated that Safieddine was likely "eliminated". The claim was later repeated by Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu.[14][15][16] On 22 October, the IDF formally announced his killing along with Hussein Hazimeh and 24 other senior Hezbollah members.[17][4][18] Hezbollah confirmed Sadieddine's death the following day,[19] and confirmed Hazimeh's death two days later.[20]
According to military analyst Elijah Magnier, the disappearance of Hashem Safieddine will not change Hezbollah's military strategy against Israel because "the team ofspecial forces in the south of Lebanon are fighting independently of the political decision-making in Beirut".[21]
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| Gaza topics | |||||||||
| Targets in the Gaza Strip |
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| Targets in the West Bank | |||||||||
| Palestinian targets outside of Palestine | |||||||||
| Lebanese targets | |||||||||
| Iranian targets | |||||||||
| Assassinations by Israelinon-state actors | |||||||||
