Hassan Nasrallah’s death: Could Hashem Safieddine be the next Hezbollah leader?

Lebanon’s Hezbollah group has confirmed its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s death, after Israel claimed it had “eliminated” the 64-year-old in a massive strike on south Beirut on Friday, according to media reports.

The question of succession looms large. Nasrallah’s cousin Hashem Safieddine is seen as the likely leader of the group. He oversees Hezbollah’s political affairs and has a clerical background. The US State Department designated him a terrorist in 2017.

Reports suggest Nasrallah has been grooming Safieddine for leadership through different positions in the group. His familial relationships, physical resemblance to the late leader and religious status is contributing to his potential leadership.

Potential implications of Hassan Nasrallah’s death

Finding a suitable successor to Hassan Nasrallah is going to be an unprecedented challenge, especially given the Israeli military’s recent successes that have already significantly affected the Iran-backed Hezbollah’s leadership structure.

Hezbollah is not going to collapse but its Secretary-General’s death is going to be a major hit to the group’s morale, Reuters quoted analyst Lina Khatib of the Chatham House Policy Institute as saying. The incident may also affect the group’s military capabilities.

Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire across the Lebanese border for several months. The group increased its rocket fire into Israel since the October 7 attack on southern Israeli cities by the Palestinian group Hamas.