Hezbollah announced on Tuesday that it appointed Sheikh Naim Qassem as the successor to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s late leader who was killed by Israeli airstrikes on September 27.
According to The Cradle, Qassem became involved with Hezbollah when the group was first formed in the 1980s and has been Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general since 1991.
“In accordance with the approved mechanism for electing the Secretary-General, Hezbollah’s Shura Council agreed to elect His Eminence Sheikh Naim Qassem as Secretary-General of Hezbollah, carrying the blessed banner in this journey, asking God Almighty to guide him in this noble mission of leading Hezbollah and its Islamic resistance,” Hezbollah said in a statement.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant threatened Qassem’s life after the news of his appointment. “Temporary appointment. Not for long,” Gallant wrote on X in a post with a picture of Qassem.
Qassem’s appointment comes amid Israeli media reports that suggest Israel might be looking for a ceasefire deal in Lebanon. Haaretz reported that the Israeli military establishment supports advancing ceasefire negotiations, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to convene a meeting on the issue on Tuesday.
The Haaretz report said Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon is expected to wind down soon. However, the report also said one of Israel’s demands for a ceasefire would be for the Israeli military to have operational freedom in southern Lebanon to enforce a truce deal, which is likely a non-starter for Hezbollah and the Lebanese government.
While Israeli airstrikes have decimated Hezbollah’s leadership and killed thousands of Lebanese, including many civilians, Israeli troops on the ground fighting in south Lebanon have faced stiff resistance. In about three weeks of fighting, at least 32 Israeli troops have been killed.