A senior Lebanese security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Wafiq Safa, Hezbollah’s Coordination and Liaison Officer, is in critical condition following a severe injury from an Israeli airstrike targeting his location in a densely populated residential area of Beirut.
The strike killed and injured dozens, but Lebanese security agencies have not confirmed whether Safa has died or remains alive.
Safa had long been the key link between Lebanese security and political forces and Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated by Israel last month.
According to the US State Department, Safa, sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2019, acted as a communication channel between Hezbollah and Lebanese security forces and headed Hezbollah’s security apparatus, reporting directly to Nasrallah.
Washington accuses Safa of exploiting Lebanese ports and border crossings for smuggling and undermining Lebanon’s security and economy.
Born in 1960 in Zebdine, southern Lebanon, Safa joined Hezbollah in 1984 and became head of the security committee in 1987. He played a pivotal role in the 2000 negotiations after three Israeli soldiers were captured, and in the 2008 prisoner exchange between Hezbollah and Israel. His prominence increased after Syrian forces withdrew from Lebanon in 2005, as he helped reorganize Hezbollah’s security.
In September 2021, Safa made headlines after threatening Judge Tarek Bitar, the lead investigator of the Beirut port explosion, with removal from the case.
Hezbollah opposition activist Ali Al-Amin described Safa as having significant connections to security agencies and political forces but noted that he is not one of Hezbollah’s top security officials, whose identities often remain undisclosed.
