Israel is not allowing a search for senior Hezbollah leader Hashem Safieddine to progress after it bombed Beirut's southern suburbs on Thursday, a Hezbollah official said, noting the group would only announce his fate when the search concluded.

Hezbollah’s likely new leader Hashem Safieddine is like his late predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, a staunch critic of Israel and the West, with deep alliances with the Iranian leadership.

Israel has targeted Hashem Safieddine, the younger cousin of slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, in an overnight air strike early Friday. Believed to be the heir apparent, Safieddine rose through the ranks and positions within the organizational structure.