Hezbollah chief killed in Israeli strikes: What next for Lebanon and who will succeed Hassan Nasrallah?

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed on Friday as Israel launched a barrage of air strikes towards Lebanon. The development comes days after Tel Aviv shifted the focus of its ongoing operation from Gaza to Lebanon. The attack has also put the spotlight on Hashem Safieddine — widely regarded as the heir to Nasrallah.

Choosing a successor will be a complicated process for the militant group — especially in the wake of multiple Israeli attacks that have killed top commanders and raised questions about internal security. Any new leader will also have to be acceptable within the organisation in Lebanon as well as its backers in Iran.

Hezbollah has given no indication about its succession plans or the current status of its top leaders since the attack. According to a Reuters report quoting sources within Hezbollah, Safieddine is said to have survived the Israeli attacks.

Who is Hashem Safieddine?

The Hezbollah leader is a cousin of Nasrallah and bears a striking resemblance to the slain leader. He is a cleric and wears the black turban denoting descent from Prophet Mohammed — a fact that is likely to count in his favour amid the current turbulence. Safieddine currently heads the executive council of the militant group and oversees its political affairs. He also sits on the ‘Jihad Council’ which manages the military operations of Hezbollah.

“Nasrallah started tailoring positions for him within a variety of different councils within Lebanese Hezbollah. Some of them were more opaque than others. They've had him come, go out and speak,” Phillip Smyth — an expert who studies Iran-backed Shi-ite militias — told Reuters.

Hezbollah was formed in the early 1980s by the Revolutionary Guards of Iran and gradually became a major social, religious and political movement for Lebanese Shi'ite Muslims. Nasrallah became the head of the group in 1992 after his predecessor Abbas al-Musawi was killed in an Israeli air strike. Over the past three decades he has become a legendary figure in the country.

(With inputs from agencies)