Sheikh Naim Qassem Agreed to the Resignation of Hezbollah's Top Security Official

TEHRAN (Defapress) - Lebanon's Hezbollah has dismissed one of its top security officials, "Wafiq Safa," as part of internal changes and reforms following the 14-month war with Israel. It is said that Safa himself requested his resignation, and Hezbollah's Secretary General agreed.

Safa headed Hezbollah's Communication and Coordination Unit for decades, an institution responsible for communicating with Lebanese security institutions. It is not yet clear what role he will have in Hezbollah's structure after this change. This unit recently lost some of its powers, and its duties were divided among other departments.

At the same time, a person named "Hussein Abdullah," an unknown figure in public opinion, has replaced Safa. The changes come as Hezbollah is rebuilding its internal structure after a major war with Israel.

Lebanese media had previously reported that Safa was targeted during Israeli airstrikes on central Beirut in October 2024, but he was unharmed and later appeared at several public events.

Safa is a well-known figure in Hezbollah and has played a key role in indirect prisoner exchange negotiations between Hezbollah and Israel in the past, including the major agreements of 2004 and 2008. He has also acted as a mediator in internal Lebanese cases. The US Treasury Department also sanctioned him and two Hezbollah representatives in 2019.

Safa was born in 1960 in the village of Zebdine near Nabatieh and joined Hezbollah as a young man.

The most recent war between Israel and Hezbollah began on October 8, 2023. Israel launched massive airstrikes against Lebanon in September 2024 and then launched ground operations.