Death of Hezbollah chief Nasrallah raises question of what comes next

FRANCE 24

28 September 2024 at 11:25 am·1-min read

The death of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah is prompting speculation over the future of the militant group and what it will mean for Lebanon as well as for the broader Middle East. Attention is also turning to the man widely regarded as Nasrallah's heir apparent, Hashem Safieddine.

As Lebanon reels from news of the death of longtime Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, questions are being raised over what his death will mean for the armed group, for Lebanese politics and for tensions in the region.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who is returning from New York where he was attending the UN General Assembly planned an exceptional cabinet meeting evening focused on Nasrallah's death “as soon as he lands”, FRANCE 24’s Rawad Taha reported on Saturday.

But Nasrallah's death and the continued bombardment of Beirut – the most severe of the past year – is fueling fears that cross-border tensions are on the verge of exploding into a wider conflict.

Most would agree, however, that Nasrallah was the "glue" holding the group together, with his death opening up a new, as-yet-unwritten chapter.

The US State Department designated Safieddine a terrorist in 2017.

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