Hezbollah Confirms that Top Official Hashem Safieddine was Killed in an Israeli Strike

Hashem Safieddine, the top Hezbollah official widely expected to succeed slain secretary general Hassan Nasrallah - File/Reuters
Hashem Safieddine, the top Hezbollah official widely expected to succeed slain secretary general Hassan Nasrallah - File/Reuters
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Hezbollah Confirms that Top Official Hashem Safieddine was Killed in an Israeli Strike

Hashem Safieddine, the top Hezbollah official widely expected to succeed slain secretary general Hassan Nasrallah - File/Reuters
Hashem Safieddine, the top Hezbollah official widely expected to succeed slain secretary general Hassan Nasrallah - File/Reuters

Hezbollah announced Wednesday that Hashem Safieddine, one of its top officials who had been widely expected to be the group’s next leader, was killed in an Israeli airstrike. The announcement came a day after Israel said it had killed Safieddine in a strike earlier this month in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Safieddine, a powerful cleric within the party ranks, had been expected to succeed Hassan Nasrallah, one of the group’s founders, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike last month, The AP reported.
Over the past several weeks, Israeli strikes have killed much of Hezbollah’s top leadership.



European Parliament Requests Immediate Release of Sansal

French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal (AFP) 
French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal (AFP) 
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European Parliament Requests Immediate Release of Sansal

French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal (AFP) 
French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal (AFP) 

The European Union Parliament adopted on Thursday a resolution calling for the immediate release of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who has been detained in Algeria since November.

“Sansal must be immediately and unconditionally released, alongside journalist Abdelwakil Blamm, writer Tadjadit Mohamed, and all other activists, journalists, human rights defenders and people detained for exercising their right to freedom of opinion and expression in Algeria,” according to a statement released by the Parliament.

The resolution was adopted by 533 votes for, 24 against and 48 abstentions. It was supported by five of the eight political groups in the European Parliament (conservatives from the European People's Party, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists, nationalists from the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, liberals from the Renew Europe Group, and the Group of the Greens).

The 75-year-old writer, granted French nationality in 2024, is being held under Article 87 of the Algerian penal code, which covers terrorism, threats and state security.

His detention by Algeria comes against a background of tensions between France and its former colony.

Last January, French President Emmanuel Macron criticized Algeria, saying Sansal was being held “in a totally arbitrary manner” by the Algerian authorities. In response, the Algerian government dismissed Macron’s comments, calling them “an unacceptable intrusion in Algeria’s internal affairs.”