An Israeli government spokesman said on Monday that Israel has no confirmation that Hashem Safi al-Din, the potential successor to the Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah group, has been killed, following reports that he was targeted in an Israeli air strike last week.

In response to a question about whether Israel could confirm the death of Safi al-Din, Israeli army spokesman David Mencer said in an online press conference, “We do not have this confirmation yet. We will announce it on the Israeli army’s website as soon as it is confirmed.”

On Saturday, Agence France-Presse quoted a “senior source” in Hezbollah, saying that contact with the head of the party’s Executive Council, Hashem Safi al-Din, had been “cut off” since the series of Israeli raids on the southern suburb of Beirut, on Friday.

The source said, without revealing his identity, that “communication with Mr. Safi al-Din has been cut off since the violent raids on the suburb,” adding, “We do not know if he was present in the place targeted by the raids, and who was present with him.”

Three Lebanese security sources told Reuters, on Saturday, that the intensified Israeli strikes on the southern suburb of Beirut since Friday prevented rescuers from combing the site of a suspected raid that led to the killing of Safi al-Din.

One of the security sources said that contact had been “lost” with Safi al-Din since the Friday strike.

It was widely expected that Safi al-Din, Secretary-General of the Lebanese group designated as a terrorist group in the United States and other countries, would succeed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israel about a week ago.

In his capacity as Chairman of the Executive Council, Safi al-Din supervised Hezbollah's political affairs. He is also a member of the Jihad Council, which manages the group's military operations.

Wasfi al-Din is a relative of Nasrallah, and like him is a cleric wearing the black turban, which indicates lineage from the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

The US State Department classified him as a terrorist in 2017, and in June Safi al-Din threatened a major escalation against Israel after the killing of another Hezbollah leader. He said at the funeral: “Let (the enemy) prepare himself to weep and lament.”

Safi al-Din's public statements often reflect Hezbollah's armed stance and its alliances.