Hezbollah announces new leader after Nasrallah killed

Hezbollah has named Sheikh Naim Qassem as its next leader, though Israel, suggesting it will target him, has already threatened that his time in the role would be “temporary.”

“Temporary appointment. Not for long,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant posted on X alongside a photo of Qassem.

Qassem, 71, takes over from his predecessor Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last month. Hezbollah, which is allied with Iran, is based in Lebanon.

A founding member of Hezbollah, Qassem was deputy leader to Nasrallah for more than 30 years and most recently served as acting leader of the Iranian-backed group.

In a statement, Hezbollah said Qassam had been chosen secretary general by its Shura Council and vowed to continue with Nasrallah’s policies “until victory is achieved,” as reported by The Associated Press.

Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, sparked by Hamas’ surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Both groups are proxies of Iran.

Israel in September stepped up its airstrikes on Hezbollah, killing Nasrallah and most of the militant group’s senior leaders. Shortly thereafter, Hashem Safieddine, thought to be the most likely successor to Nasrallah, was killed in further Israeli strikes.

And earlier this month, Israel launched a limited ground incursion into Lebanon.

Prior to being named as Hezbollah’s new leader, Qassem gave several televised speeches vowing that his group will continue to fight in the face of its hindered command structure.

Israel’s official Arabic account on X also posted a statement that warned Qassam’s tenure “may be the shortest in the history of this terrorist organization if he follows in the footsteps of his predecessors.”

“There is no solution in Lebanon except to dismantle this organization as a military force,” according to the statement.