Hashem Safieddine, widely regarded as the likely successor to Hezbollah’s slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in a heavy airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs earlier this week, unnamed Israeli sources told Sky News Arabia. 

While Israeli officials have remained cautious in confirming Safieddine’s death, Israeli sources told Sky News that "estimates regarding his death are tentative, as Israel has yet to obtain conclusive material evidence." The possibility remains that Safieddine was either killed in the initial strike or suffocated afterward.

On Friday, the Israeli army stated that an airstrike had targeted Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters but did not disclose who was inside the underground bunker.

Reuters, citing Lebanese security sources, reported that Safieddine has been “unreachable” since the strike on the underground facility. 

Moreover, Al Arabiya news channel reported that Safieddine was indeed assassinated, alongside officers from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). 

A Lebanese security source confirmed to Sky News that Safieddine was present at the targeted location in Beirut’s southern suburbs, emphasizing that rescue teams have been unable to access the targeted area due to the intense Israeli aerial activity over the area. The source added that “the chances of anyone surviving at the target site are nearly nonexistent.”

Security sources told Al-Jadeed that “all information regarding Safieddine’s fate remains unverified due to communication difficulties," adding to the uncertainty surrounding his status.