Hashem Safieddine, a senior Hezbollah leader once presumed heir to slain cleric Hassan Nasrallah, was the target of an Israeli strike in Lebanon, Israeli and US media reported Thursday.

Safieddine was in a Beirut bunker hit by an Israeli plane on Wednesday, Axios reported citing unnamed Israeli officials. The New York Times also cited Israeli officials without naming them in its account of the attack, while Israeli media cited Lebanese officials. None of the reports specify whether Safieddine was killed.

News week contacted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.

Israel recently decimated the leadership of Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Lebanese group that was once the most powerful force in Tehran’s “Axis of Resistance” stretching from Syria to the Persian Gulf.

A week ago, Israel killed Nasrallah, dealing a devastating blow to Iran, depriving the proxy network of its most famous and charismatic leader.

The IDF launched a ground invasion of Lebanon earlier this week, while Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel.

Hezbollah leader Hashem Safieddine is pictured during an event in Beirut, Lebanon, May 24, 2024. An Israeli airstrike Thursday evening on Beirut reportedly targeted Safieddine, a likely successor to Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed. ..


ANWAR AMRO/AFP