Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement announced Tuesday that Sheikh Naim Qassem, the organization’s deputy leader, has been chosen to succeed Hasan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on southern Beirut last month.
“Hezbollah’s Shura Council has elected Sheikh Naim Qassem as the new secretary-general,” the Iran-backed group said in a statement, marking more than a month since Nasrallah’s death. The group pledged to uphold its “resistance” against Israel, vowing that Nasrallah’s legacy would endure as hostilities continue.
The Shura Council, Hezbollah’s top decision-making body, elected Qassem just two days before Tuesday’s official announcement, according to a Hezbollah insider. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that once the war with Israel ends, the council may elect a new leader or keep Qassem in the role.
Qassem, 71, has been a prominent yet low-profile figure within Hezbollah. Born in Beirut to a family originally from Kfar Fila near the Israeli border, he was one of the group’s founding members in 1982 and has served as Nasrallah’s deputy since 1991.
While he lacks the charisma of his predecessor, Qassem has made three televised appearances since Nasrallah’s death, delivering speeches in formal Arabic, contrasting with the colloquial style Nasrallah favored.
Initially, Hashem Safieddine, head of Hezbollah’s executive council, was anticipated to succeed Nasrallah, but he too was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs shortly after Nasrallah’s assassination.
Qassem has emphasized that Hezbollah’s military capabilities remain intact despite the leadership losses and has voiced support for efforts by Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to broker a ceasefire. In a recent address on October 15, Qassem suggested that a ceasefire is Israel’s only option to restore stability in its northern regions.
The current conflict erupted on September 23 after nearly a year of cross-border skirmishes. Israel intensified its operations, targeting Hezbollah strongholds and systematically eliminating senior members of the group’s leadership. According to health ministry figures and AFP tallies, over 1,700 people in Lebanon have died since the conflict began, with actual numbers likely higher due to incomplete data. Israel, meanwhile, reports 37 soldier fatalities since its ground operations commenced on September 30.
As Hezbollah transitions under Qassem’s leadership, the group faces an uncertain future amid escalating tensions and devastating casualties on both sides.
