Israel announced Tuesday that an airstrike outside Beirut earlier this month killed Hashem Safieddine, a senior Hezbollah official widely expected to succeed the militant group’s leader, who was killed in an Israeli strike last month.
The claim comes amid intensifying regional tensions, with fresh Israeli airstrikes hitting Beirut suburbs Tuesday and Secretary of State Antony Blinken conducting his eleventh diplomatic visit to the region since the Israel-Hamas war began.
Hezbollah has not confirmed Safieddine’s death. Israeli officials say the strike that killed him also eliminated 25 other Hezbollah leaders, part of a campaign that has reportedly decimated the group’s leadership structure in recent months.
The announcement follows Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza last week. During his visit Tuesday, Blinken urged Israeli leaders to “capitalize” on Sinwar’s death as an opportunity to end the Gaza conflict and secure the release of hostages while emphasizing the need for increased humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
Tuesday’s violence escalated when Israeli forces struck a Beirut suburb, destroying a building they claimed housed Hezbollah facilities. The strike occurred just 40 minutes after Israel issued evacuation warnings and near where a Hezbollah spokesperson had briefed journalists about a weekend drone attack on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s house.
Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Afif claimed responsibility for Saturday’s drone strike on Netanyahu’s residence in Caesarea, though Israeli officials said neither the prime minister nor his wife were present during the attack.
The militant group also launched a barrage of rockets into central Israel Tuesday, triggering air raid sirens near populated areas and the international airport, though no injuries or damage were reported.
Netanyahu’s office characterized his meeting with Blinken, which lasted over two hours, as “friendly and productive.” The diplomatic discussions occurred against a backdrop of escalating regional tensions, with Israel conducting strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon while facing rocket attacks on its territory.
