Which Hezbollah leaders were killed and who will succeed Hassan Nasrallah? | Hezbollah

Even before Sunday's new attacks, the Israeli military had boasted that it had killed most of Hezbollah's senior leaders. With the news that Nabil QaoukWith the Lebanese government, another key figure in the Shiite militant Islamist organization, killed in an airstrike in Beirut, the task of eliminating the top echelons of Hezbollah's military command structure appears almost complete. The murder of Hassan NasrallahHezbollah's long-time secretary general on Friday was just the most spectacular and sensational murder in an unprecedented operation spanning many months.

Qaouk, like many of the 19 senior Hezbollah officials killed, joined as a teenager in the very early years of the organization's 41-year history and went on to hold a number of senior military positions. Recently, Qaouk had begun serving in more political roles and traveled frequently to Iran, where he maintained good relations with some of the regime's top officials.

Other Hezbollah veterans killed in recent days include: Ibrahim Aqila second founding member of the organization's military wing. Aqil, who was in his early 60s, was said to be the acting commander of the Radwan [special forces] Brigades.

Fuad Shukrwho died in July, was involved in the massive suicide bombings against targets in the United States, France and Israel carried out in 1983 by a coalition of Islamist Shiite groups, a precursor to Hezbollah. He then played a key role in developing Hezbollah's military capabilities, assuming the position of Hezbollah's chief of staff and serving as senior military adviser to Nasrallah.

Another casualty of the Israeli campaign was Ali Karakiwho was responsible for military operations along the disputed border with Israel. Analysts say Karaki, who has served in a number of secret international roles over the course of his long militant career, was being groomed for a leadership role within Hezbollah. He died along with Nasrallah in the massive attack by Israeli forces on Beirut on Friday.

It did that too Ibrahim Jaziniwho was responsible for internal security within Hezbollah. Although Jazini had no personal following and was somewhat of a loner within the organization, he enjoyed the trust and sympathy of Nasrallah.

The loss of these men leaves Hezbollah in complete disarray and deprived of capable agents with extensive military and international experience.

“Hezbollah faces a reality far worse than any worst-case scenario it may have played in the war. The chain of command is wiped out,” said Naveed Ahmed, an independent security analyst and expert on Hezbollah in the Gulf region.

The most obvious candidate for successor is Nasrallah Hashem SafieddineChairman of the Executive Council of Hezbollah. Safieddine, a cousin of Nasrallah, was born in southern Lebanon in 1964 and is another founding member. He is believed to have spent many years in Qom, Iran's religious city, and over the decades was tasked with a variety of tasks by Hezbollah, including managing the organization's extensive portfolio of legal and illegal businesses.

A powerful speaker, Safieddine is popular within the organization and among its sponsors in Tehran. Last year he said: “It may require one war, two wars, three wars, multiple confrontations, military confrontations, the sacrifice of martyrs, bearing the burden and dealing with the consequences, but ultimately [Israel] must come to an end.”

Israel's assassination campaign has so far targeted Hezbollah's military commanders and left the top political ranks largely unscathed. However, Safieddine sits on the organization's Jihad Council and could therefore soon also be targeted.

“It is currently impossible to predict who would be a successor as Israeli targeted attacks continue to eliminate commanders. It is in Hezbollah's interest not to publicly announce his successor. Nasrallah’s funeral, if it were to take place at all, would be a rich source of information and targets,” Ahmed said.