The potential successor to Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hashem Safieddine, has been out of contact since Friday following a series of Israeli airstrikes in Beirut.
A Lebanese security source confirmed that ongoing strikes have hindered rescue efforts in Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Safieddine was reportedly targeted in an underground bunker.
Israel launched a major strike on Beirut late Thursday, reportedly aimed at Safieddine.
Three Israeli officials told Axios that the attack was part of Israel’s broader campaign against the Iran-backed group. Hezbollah has yet to issue a statement on Safieddine’s status.
Israeli Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said the military was still assessing the damage from the airstrikes, which he claimed targeted Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters.
If Safieddine is confirmed dead, it would deal another significant blow to Hezbollah’s leadership, already decimated by Israeli strikes in the past year, including the death of Nasrallah on Sept. 27.
Israel has expanded its operations in Lebanon, launching strikes on Tripoli and other areas beyond its usual focus on the Israel-Lebanon border.
A Lebanese security official reported that Saturday’s airstrike on a Palestinian refugee camp in Tripoli killed a member of Hamas, his wife, and two children.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have been engaging in ground raids in southern Lebanon, with their military campaign aimed at dismantling Hezbollah’s influence in the region.
Israeli strikes have killed hundreds of Lebanese civilians, forced 1.2 million people to flee, and destroyed large portions of Beirut.
The conflict, sparked by escalating tensions with Hezbollah and in parallel with Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza against Hamas, has also drawn in Iran.
Tehran, which supports both Hezbollah and Hamas, launched ballistic missiles at Israel earlier this week, though the strikes caused minimal damage.
As tensions rise, oil prices have surged amid fears of potential attacks on Iranian oil facilities. U.S. President Joe Biden has urged Israel to explore alternatives to escalating the conflict with Iran.
