Beirut (diplomat.so) - In a significant escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Hashem Safieddine, believed to be the potential successor to slain Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has reportedly gone out of contact following an Israeli airstrike on Thursday night. The strike targeted what Israeli officials described as an underground bunker in the Dahiyeh area of southern Beirut, a known stronghold of the Iran-backed group. The assault is part of Israel's ongoing military campaign against Hezbollah, which has intensified in recent weeks amid rising tensions in the region.
Israeli airstrikes have continued in the Dahiyeh suburb, hampering rescue operations and preventing teams from accessing the site of the attack, according to Lebanese security sources. Hezbollah has yet to comment on the fate of Safieddine or the recent strikes. Meanwhile, Israeli military officials have indicated that the airstrikes were aimed at crippling Hezbollah's intelligence infrastructure, which has faced significant losses in leadership due to the ongoing hostilities.
The Israeli military broadened its offensive over the weekend, launching strikes in Tripoli, marking its first assault on the northern city amidst ongoing bombings of Beirut's suburbs. These actions come in response to rocket fire from Hezbollah that has targeted northern Israel since the conflict reignited nearly a year ago. Israel has cited the need to protect its citizens and restore normalcy to areas affected by Hezbollah’s attacks.
As violence continues to escalate, Lebanon’s health ministry reported that Israeli airstrikes resulted in at least 25 deaths and over 127 injuries on Friday alone. The humanitarian toll is severe, with around 1.2 million Lebanese displaced from their homes due to the conflict. The ongoing crisis is compounded by Iran's involvement, with tensions between Israel and Iran also on the rise as both countries reassess their military strategies amid the violence.
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