The volcano of Hezbollah’s internal conflicts spews its lava: Wafiq Safa exposes what was hidden
Internal conflicts within Lebanon’s Hezbollah are no longer confined to closed rooms. They have begun to surface openly, signaling a sharp internal rift between competing centers of power vying for decision-making authority, money and influence.
In an unprecedented move, Hezbollah announced that it had accepted the resignation of one of its senior security officials, Wafiq Safa.
Reuters quoted “informed sources” as saying that “the party’s leadership accepted, on Friday, the resignation of the senior security official Wafiq Safa,” noting that he had submitted his resignation some time ago, but that it was only accepted after he insisted on his decision. The agency did not specify the reasons behind the resignation.
According to assessments by experts and party figures, the removal of a senior Hezbollah official reflects “the depth of the profound tremors” shaking its organizational structure. Internal struggles are no longer confined to secrecy but are gradually emerging as a sign of an acute internal division between rival power centers.
These experts said that the dismissal of “one of the main architects of the group’s security and political influence” is not merely an administrative reshuffle, but rather an indication of declining absolute control and weakening organizational discipline.
Wafiq Safa, who headed Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit responsible for dealings with Lebanese security agencies, survived an alleged Israeli assassination attempt in October 2024.
Reasons and significance
Commenting on the development, strategic expert and retired Brigadier General Nahi Jibran said that Hezbollah’s move comes as part of an attempt to restructure and reorganize its ranks, with Iranian assistance, based on the current realities facing the party.
He explained that multiple factions have emerged within the party, particularly following the assassination of Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, the disruption of its command-and-control system, the destruction of its offensive military capabilities that once ensured a balance of deterrence, and the loss of its political compass.
In light of these factors, Jibran considers it unlikely that Hezbollah will be able to restore its former local and regional strength in the foreseeable future.
Regarding the motives behind Safa’s removal, he said that “his recent conduct was hasty and irresponsible, and did not serve the country’s higher interests,” as it contradicted Lebanon’s general political orientation domestically and regionally.
According to Jibran, Safa’s actions placed the party in direct and provocative confrontation with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, a stance that became evident during the Raouche incident, as well as before and after it.
Safa’s last public appearance was on September 25 of last year at the Raouche Rock in Beirut, marking the anniversary of Hassan Nasrallah’s death, alongside several journalists, after the landmark was illuminated with Nasrallah’s image.
The move sparked widespread controversy and public resentment in Lebanon, as the rock is regarded as a national landmark that should not be exploited for political or partisan purposes.
Given the party’s current circumstances, Jibran stressed that Safa’s successor will adopt a markedly different tone and approach, as Hezbollah can no longer afford mistakes or recklessness and must take into account new regional and international balances.
A sign of weakness and internal struggle
For his part, Elie Mahfoud, head of the Change Movement, said that “this dismissal is not an ordinary event, but a strong indicator of weakness.”
In closed ideological organizations such as Hezbollah, he noted, it is rare for a leader of such stature to leave his post voluntarily or publicly. He emphasized that Safa’s removal is not merely an administrative change, but evidence of internal instability.
Mahfoud argued that the departure of one of the group’s key security and political architects confirms that the era of absolute dominance is receding, adding that talk of restructuring reflects an attempt to rescue a party suffering from gradual erosion and a deep internal crisis.
He viewed the decision as evidence of an internal power struggle and a redistribution of influence within the leadership, under pressure from military strikes, political isolation and the abandonment of allies, indicating that the decision-making structure is no longer as cohesive as it once was.
He warned that Safa’s exit marks the end of a phase in Hezbollah’s management of its influence within the Lebanese state and the erosion of its image as an untouchable force, stressing that public changes of this magnitude mean the rigid structure long promoted by the party is no longer immune.
Internal repositioning
The analysis of Lebanese political analyst Tarek Abou Zeinab largely aligns with these views. He said that developments within the armed group reveal an undeclared internal fracture and an escalating struggle for influence between power centers, driven by conflicting interests and declining organizational discipline.
He explained that this points to a phase of internal repositioning reflecting structural tensions deeper than a mere routine administrative change.
Abou Zeinab noted that the events highlight the extent of deep instability within Hezbollah’s organizational structure, where conflicts are no longer confined to the background but are increasingly visible as a manifestation of sharp internal division between rival power centers.
He concluded that the party is no longer the solid bloc it seeks to portray, but rather an entity burdened by contradictions, governed more by private calculations than by ideological slogans.
He added that Wafiq Safa formally submitted his resignation about two months ago to Secretary General Naim Qassem, and that it was accepted quietly within organizational circles, without any public announcement.
Following this, Hussein Ibrahim Al-Abdallah, one of the officials overseeing units in the south, was appointed to head the Liaison and Coordination Unit, supported by a team of close associates, with the aim of reorganizing sensitive aspects of the party’s internal structure.
A new phase
Meanwhile, Charles Jabbour, head of communications for the Lebanese Forces party, believes the developments are part of internal arrangements whose scope and limits have yet to become clear.
He said that Wafiq Safa played a pivotal role within the party during a specific period under the former secretary general, and that these changes clearly signal the onset of a new phase, with a new team replacing the old one.
Jabbour argued that such a change could only occur as a result of an Iranian decision, particularly as it coincides with US-Iranian negotiations currently taking place in Muscat.
He suggested that the changes within Hezbollah may be part of Iranian requirements involving concessions on certain issues, whether at the political level or through affiliated networks.
He concluded by stating that Hezbollah continues to pursue a course of action incompatible with the concept of Lebanon as an open, pluralistic homeland, and with the very notion of the state and its institutions.
On Friday, a round of indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States concluded in Muscat, with expectations that talks could resume at a later stage.
