A spokesperson for the Israeli army has alleged that Hashem Safieddine, the highly regarded next leader of Hezbollah, was killed on Saturday. According to the Saudi news organization Al Hadath, the Israeli strike targeting the Al-Dahiya suburb of Beirut on Thursday evening resulted in the deaths of several senior Hezbollah officials, including Safieddine, who currently heads the organization’s executive council.

This position was formerly held by Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's Secretary General, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Dahiya last week. Safieddine was viewed as the likely successor to Nasrallah. The strike also reportedly targeted Mohammad Rashid Skadi, head of Hezbollah’s communications system.

Israeli media have suggested that there are expected to be no survivors from the devastating attack, characterizing it as even more severe than the previous strike that killed Nasrallah. Thursday’s airstrike aimed at Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters sought to eliminate attendees of a meeting involving senior members of the organization.