Is Nasrallah's successor Hashem Safieddine eliminated in Israeli strikes?

Hashem Safieddine is widely regarded as a likely successor to Hassan Nasrallah. If appointed, he could take charge of Hezbollah during a challenging period amid increased escalation with Israel

Amid Israeli’s intensified attacks on Lebanon-based Hezbollah group, it is being reported that assassinated outfit Chief Hassan Nasrallah’s potential successor, Hashem Safieddine, was also eliminated in one of the strikes on Thursday night.

However, no official confirmation has been made yet. Nasrallah, who led the Iran-backed militant group for 32 years, was killed on September 27 during an airstrike amid heightened tensions between the two sides.

Hashem Safieddine, 60, is seen as the most likely successor to Nasrallah. If appointed, he could take charge over the group during a challenging period for the organisation, which has been heavily targeted by Israel since the end of September.

Who is Hashem Safieddine?

1) Safieddine is Nasrallah’s cousin and had survived the Israeli attack that killed Nasrallah in Beirut. He oversees Hezbollah's political affairs and is among the most senior leaders of the outfit.

2) Safiddine was declared a terrorist by the United States in 2017. He also sits on the Jihad Council, which manages Hezbollah's military operations. This means that Safiddine’s statements reflect Hezbollah’s military stance.

3) A cleric like Nasrallah, Safiddine wears a black turban denoting descent from Islam's Prophet Mohammed and largely avoids public appearances over the fears of potential assassination attempts.

4) He has also publicly expressed his support for Palestinian movement, which resonates with all the militant groups backed by Iran, including Gaza’s Hamas and Yemen’s Houthis. Notably, this issue has been the trigger behind the tensions between Israel and allies and Iran and its allies. Collectively, these militant outfits are called ‘Axis of Resistance’ for their opposition to the US and Israel.

5) Experts believe that Safieddine’s family connections, resemblance to Nasrallah, and his existing status would all work in his favour.

6) He has been criticising the US policies for a longtime now and had called the Donald Trump administration ‘mentally impeded and crazy’ in 2017 for attempting to ‘harm the resistance’.

(With inputs from agencies)