Hezbollah has declared Naim Qassem as its newly appointed leader.
Qassem, who was elevated from his role as deputy leader, was announced on Tuesday to succeed Hassan Nasrallah as the secretary-general of the Lebanon-based militant organization.
Nasrallah was killed in Beirut in late September as a result of an Israeli airstrike. Additionally, numerous other high-ranking Hezbollah officials have been targeted since Israel intensified its focus on the group during that month.
In an official statement, Hezbollah indicated that Qassem was chosen for this role due to his “commitment to the principles and objectives of Hezbollah.”
The organization further expressed its hope that “God Almighty will guide him in this honorable task of leading Hezbollah and its Islamic resistance.”
Vacuum
The assassination of Nasrallah, a figure who represented the Lebanese Shia movement to both his supporters and the broader region, has created a significant leadership void within a group that had already suffered extensive losses due to months of targeted Israeli strikes.
Nasrallah’s cousin, Hashem Safieddine, was previously considered the leading candidate to succeed him at the helm of the Iran-affiliated Hezbollah; however, he was killed in an Israeli attack on Beirut shortly after Nasrallah’s death.
Qassem, aged 71, has frequently been identified as Hezbollah’s “number two.” He is one of the founding religious scholars of the organization, established in the early 1980s, and possesses a long-standing background in Shia political activism.
He was the highest-ranking Hezbollah official to maintain a public presence after Nasrallah retreated from the public eye following the 2006 conflict with Israel.
In the wake of the former leader’s assassination, Qassem has delivered three televised speeches, utilizing a more formal Arabic style compared to the colloquial Lebanese dialect preferred by Nasrallah.
On September 30, he conveyed a resolute message, affirming Hezbollah’s preparedness to confront Israel and achieve victory.
