Hezbollah Leader Hashem Safieddine Reportedly Killed in Israeli Strike

Hezbollah’s front-runner, Hashem Safieddine, the likely successor to the group’s former leader Hassan Nasrallah, was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut overnight into Friday. This comes amid heightened tensions as Israel also struck senior Hamas leaders in Lebanon, with the IDF confirming the deaths of Muhammad Hussein Ali Al-Mahmoud and Saeed Atallah in separate operations.

Israeli forces intensified their campaign against Hezbollah and Hamas in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah members at a command center in a mosque near Salah Ghandour Hospital. Airstrikes were also reported in Beirut's Dahiyeh neighborhood and Baalbek, with at least six airstrikes hitting Dahiyeh in one hour.

The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that 25 people were killed and 127 wounded in Israeli strikes on Friday, with the United Nations stating that more than half a million people have been displaced in Lebanon, including 285,000 who have fled the country.

Meanwhile, rockets launched from Lebanon targeted northern Israel, striking a building in Deir al-Asad and injuring three people. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching rockets at Israel’s Ramat David Airbase, escalating the cross-border conflict.

In Gaza, U.S. officials believe that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar remains alive and continues to make key decisions despite his communication channels being severed. The conflict has led to over 41,825 Palestinian deaths and nearly 100,000 wounded since its inception, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry.