World Courant
Hashem Safieddine was reportedly within the underground headquarters of Hezbollah’s intelligence service throughout an Israeli airstrike.
Hezbollah has misplaced contact since Friday with considered one of its senior leaders, Hashem Safieddine, who was seen as a doable successor to slain chief Hassan Nasrallah, following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s Dahiyeh neighborhood, a Lebanese safety supply instructed Al Jazeera.
As chairman of the armed group’s Government Council, Safieddine is a really senior member of the group. He’s a cousin of the late Nasrallah, the previous secretary normal, stated Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari, reporting from Beirut.
Jabbari stated there was a “sense of urgency” amongst Lebanese and Hezbollah officers to permit rescue groups within the space to retrieve our bodies from the assault on Friday morning.
She added that almost all Hezbollah commanders are “shadowy”, with Safieddine’s identify solely coming to gentle after many believed he would possibly succeed Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike final month, as Hezbollah secretary normal .
“With the chance that he can also be assassinated, the query of succession throughout the group stays in query,” Jabbari defined.
‘Intelligence breach’
However the lack of contact with Safieddine additionally proves there’s an intelligence breach throughout the group, “permitting Israel to find and assault one chief after one other,” Al Jazeera political analyst Marwan Bishara stated.
Nader Hashemi, affiliate professor of Center East and Islamic Politics at Georgetown College, stated the lack of contact with Nasrallah’s successor “is one other critical and vital setback for Hezbollah.”
“The wording that they’ve misplaced contact with him is an try to arrange Hezbollah supporters for the upcoming announcement that he has been confirmed useless,” he instructed Al Jazeera from Ottawa, Canada.
On Friday, the Reuters information company reported that Israeli Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani stated the army was nonetheless assessing the aftermath of the airstrike, which he confirmed focused Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters.
Hezbollah has made no official touch upon Safieddine’s standing for the reason that assault.
Israel launched an intensive bombing marketing campaign throughout Lebanon two weeks in the past because it shifted focus to its northern border following a 12 months of cross-border exchanges that compelled hundreds of civilians to flee on each side of the border. Israel seeks to safe the secure return of its nationals to their houses in northern Israel whereas storming Hezbollah positions.
Final week, Israel launched a “restricted floor operation” in southern Lebanon because it stepped up airstrikes within the space and Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The Related Press, citing the Israeli military, reported that 9 troopers have been killed to date in floor combating with Hezbollah fighters.
Greater than 2,000 individuals have been killed in Israel’s intensive bombardment of the nation, forcing 1.2 million to flee their houses, based on the Lebanese Well being Ministry.
Hezbollah loses contact with senior chief Hashem Safieddine: Sources | Israel assaults Lebanon Information
Africa Area Information ,Subsequent Large Factor in Public Knowledg
