Target of major Israeli strike in central Beirut reportedly senior Hezbollah official

Hebrew and Arabic media reports that the target of the IDF’s major airstrike this evening in central Beirut was Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit chief Wafiq Safa.

Safa was sanctioned in 2019 by the US Treasury Department, which described him as Hezbollah’s interlocutor to the Lebanese security forces.

“As the head of Hezbollah’s security apparatus, which is directly linked to Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, Safa has exploited Lebanon’s ports and border crossings to smuggle contraband and facilitate travel on behalf of Hezbollah, undermining the security and safety of the Lebanese people, while also draining valuable import duties and revenue away from the Lebanese government,” the Treasury Department wrote at the time.

A Lebanese security source confirms to Reuters that the Israeli strike on central Beirut targeted at least one senior figure in Hezbollah.

This is the third such attack beyond the southern suburbs of Beirut since Israel escalated its campaign against Hezbollah last month.

דיווחים: יעד התקיפה הישראלית בביירות הוא ופיק ספא, האחראי על התיאום והקישור בחיזבאללה, היה האיש למשימות מיוחדת של נסראללה https://t.co/2BKcxldfQK pic.twitter.com/WXJmYiNAil

— roi kais • روعي كايس • רועי קייס (@kaisos1987) October 10, 2024