Israel’s intensified airstrikes over the past week in Lebanon have dealt a devastating blow to Hezbollah, the powerful Shia militant group and political party. The strikes killed seven high-ranking commanders and officials, including Hassan Nasrallah, who led the group for over three decades.
Nasrallah’s assassination on Friday, in a series of airstrikes that levelled several buildings in southern Beirut, sent shockwaves across Lebanon and the wider Middle East. The other six killed were key figures in Hezbollah’s military wing, responsible for operations, missiles, drones, and elite forces.
Their deaths represent a significant setback for the group, which has lost instrumental leaders since its founding in the early 1980s during Lebanon’s civil war. The group now attempts to regroup and recuperate from these severe blows to its leadership and capabilities.
With Nasrallah and several other long-serving, high-ranking commanders killed, here’s a closer look at these influential figures.
Hassan Nasrallah
Hassan Nasrallah was the Secretary-General of the organisation since 1992. He led the group through several wars with Israel and oversaw its transformation into a powerful political and military force in Lebanon and the region.
Nasrallah was a divisive figure, praised by supporters for ending Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon in 2000, but criticised by opponents for Hezbollah’s weapons stockpile and close ties with Iran. He was killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes that levelled buildings in southern Beirut on Friday.
Ali Karaki
Ali Karaki led Hezbollah’s southern front, playing a key role in the ongoing conflict with Israel. The US described him as a significant figure in the group’s leadership.
Little is known about Karaki, who was killed alongside Hassan Nasrallah.
Nabil Kaouk
Nabil Kaouk was the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council and a long-time member since the 1980s. He served as the group’s military commander in south Lebanon from 1995 to 2010 and was seen as a potential successor to Nasrallah.
Kaouk made several media appearances and speeches, including at funerals for killed Hezbollah militants. He was killed in an airstrike on Saturday.
Ibrahim Akil
Ibrahim Akil was a top commander who led Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Forces. He was a member of the group’s highest military body, the Jihad Council, and had been on the U.S. wanted list for his alleged involvement in the 1983 bombing of the US Embassy in Beirut and the taking of American and German hostages.
Akil was killed alongside Ahmad Wehbe in an airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Mohammad Surour
Mohammad Surour was the head of Hezbollah’s drone unit, which was used for the first time in the current conflict with Israel.
Under his leadership, Hezbollah launched exploding and reconnaissance drones deep into Israel, penetrating its defense systems.
Ibrahim Kobeissi
Ibrahim Kobeissi led Hezbollah’s missile unit. The Israeli military accused him of planning the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli soldiers at the northern border in 2000, whose bodies were returned in a prisoner swap with Hezbollah four years later.
Ahmad Wehbe
Ahmad Wehbe was a commander of the Radwan Forces and played a crucial role in developing the group since its formation nearly two decades ago.
Who’s left?
With Nasrallah and several senior commanders killed, Naim Kassem has emerged as the most high-ranking surviving member of Hezbollah’s leadership. Serving as the deputy leader since 1991 and a founding member of the group, Kassem has been speculated by local media as a potential target of Israeli strikes in southern Beirut on multiple occasions.
During the ongoing conflict, Kassem stands out as the only top Hezbollah official granting interviews to local and international press, suggesting his prominent role extends beyond just military matters to political and public relations aspects as well. Kassem is also involved in the group’s social initiatives aimed at the Shia Muslim community in Lebanon.
However, Hashim Safieddine, who heads Hezbollah’s central council, is viewed as the likely successor to Nasrallah’s leadership. Saudi-led news outlet Al Arabiya reported on Sunday that the group named him as the new Secretary-General to succeed Nasrallah. Safieddine, Nasrallah’s cousin, joined Hezbollah in its early days.
Adding to his credentials, Safieddine’s son is married to the daughter of the slain Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. While Kassem and Safieddine represent the highest remnants of Hezbollah’s command, Israeli forces appear to have set their sights on eliminating Talal Hamieh and Abu Ali Reda, the two remaining top field commanders still alive after the recent strikes, according to media reports.
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