Hezbollah (The Palestine Telegraph Newspaper) February 06, 2026 – Lebanon's Hezbollah has accepted the resignation of its senior security official Wafiq Safa, head of the group's Liaison and Coordination Unit, marking the first such departure at his rank. Sources familiar with the group's internal discussions state that Safa submitted his resignation some time ago, with leadership approving it on Friday after he insisted on the decision. The move occurs amid reports of internal restructuring following the group's 14-month conflict with Israel.
Hezbollah's leadership accepted Wafiq Safa's resignation from his position on Friday, according to two insiders who spoke on condition of anonymity. Safa had led the Liaison and Coordination Unit, responsible for relations with Lebanese security agencies, for decades. The sources did not provide a specific reason for the resignation.
Associated Press correspondent Bassem Mroue, a long-time Mideast specialist on Lebanon and Hezbollah, reported the development directly linking to the wire service story. [Bassem Mroue باسم مروه - @bmroue] said in X post,
“#Hezbollah replaces top security official Wafiq #Safa as part of internal restructuring.”
One official indicated that Hussein Abdullah, previously not widely known publicly, has taken over the role. Additionally, the unit has had some authority transferred to other departments within Hezbollah.
Wafiq Safa's Extensive Role in Hezbollah
Wafiq Safa, born in 1960 in Zdine near Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, joined Hezbollah in 1984. In 1987, then-Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah appointed him head of the Security Committee, later renamed the Liaison and Coordination Unit. Safa reported directly to the Secretary-General and managed Hezbollah's security services and political relationships in Lebanon, including meetings with figures such as President Michel Aoun.
He served as a key intermediary with Lebanese security forces since the late 1980s. Safa was sometimes referred to as Hezbollah's "Minister of Defense" or "Minister of the Interior."
Safa played central roles in negotiations with Israel. In 2000, he participated in talks after the abduction of three Israeli soldiers, whose bodies were exchanged in a 2004 prisoner swap. He also oversaw the 2008 deal exchanging the bodies of Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, captured in 2006 and triggering a 34-day war, for five Lebanese prisoners.
During the 2008 exchange, Safa refused to confirm the soldiers' fate until their coffins reached Naqoura in Lebanon, drawing criticism in Israel.
Megaphone News English, an independent platform covering Lebanese affairs, provided detailed context on Safa's nearly four-decade tenure and controversies. [Megaphone News English - @MegaphoneNewsEN] said in X post,
“Wafiq Safa’s tenure at Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit came to an end, nearly 40 years after he began heading the internal security committee tasked with liaising and coordinating with official security agencies. Reuters quoted informed sources as saying that Safa submitted his resignation some time ago, and that Hezbollah leadership accepted it on Friday after he insisted on his decision. Wafiq Safa is the Hezbollah official who entered the Palace of Justice on September 21, 2021 to threaten the lead investigator in the Beirut port explosion case, Judge Tarek Bitar. He conveyed the threat through a journalist, saying: “We’ll go with you from A to Z along the legal path, but if that doesn’t work, we’ll take you out.” What followed was a cascade of judicial obstruction of the investigation, attempts to ignite internal violence through the Tayyouneh incidents, and eventually a judicial coup against Bitar, whose effects were nullified by a court decision earlier this year. Safa headed what was known as Hezbollah’s “Security Committee” in 1987, later renamed the Liaison and Coordination Unit. He held key roles within the party including negotiating, through intermediaries, the 2008 prisoner exchange with Israel. In 2019, the US Treasury placed him on its sanctions list, accusing him of “exploiting Lebanon's ports and border crossings” to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah. It was also reported that Safa survived an assassination attempt in the Noueiri area during the latest Israeli war of aggression in 2024.”
Recent Events and Assassination Attempt
Lebanese media reported that Safa was targeted in Israeli airstrikes in central Beirut in October 2024, during the height of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. He survived the attempt and made several public appearances unscathed.
The conflict, lasting 14 months, ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in 2024 after Israeli strikes weakened Hezbollah. Since then, Israel and Lebanon have accused each other of violations. Reports from January 2026 indicated intentions to reduce Safa's role as part of reforms by Secretary-General Naim Qassem.
Broader Context of Hezbollah Restructuring
The resignation comes as Hezbollah conducts internal restructuring following significant losses in the war with Israel, including key political and military leaders. One source described it as part of an internal move after the group's losses.
Saudi outlets reported in January that Safa's role was being scaled back, with Qassem pushing for new leadership and narrowing veterans' responsibilities. Criticism and discontent within the group were cited. Some authority from the Liaison and Coordination Unit has been transferred to other factions. Lebanon faces U.S. and Israeli pressure to disarm Hezbollah, with fears of escalated Israeli strikes.
Sanctions and Other Allegations
In 2019, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Safa and two Hezbollah lawmakers. The U.S. accused Safa of using Lebanese ports and border crossings to facilitate travel for Hezbollah operatives. A 2023 U.S. designation linked Safa and Mohammad Raad to securing foreign passports for 100 operatives for missions abroad.
Reports alleged Safa threatened a Lebanese judge investigating the 2020 Beirut port explosion. Hezbollah, founded in 1982 with Iranian support, retained weapons after Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war and fought Israeli forces until their withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. This development marks the first resignation of a Hezbollah official at Safa's seniority.