Nasrallah’s deputy Naim Qassem takes over as Hezbollah chief

Naim Qassem, the deputy chief of Hezbollah under Hassan Nasrallah, has taken over as the secretary-general of the Lebanon-based armed group following the latter’s death last month.

The Hezbollah said in a statement on Tuesday (October 29) that Qassem was elected because of his “adherence to the principles and goals of Hezbollah” and sought God’s guidance for him in the “noble mission [of] leading Hezbollah and its Islamic resistance”.

Also read: Tip-off, 80 tonnes of explosives: How Nasrallah was killed in bunker 60 ft underground

Hezbollah’s face

Qassem (71), popularly known as Hezbollah’s “number two”, is one of the several religious leaders who founded the group in the early 1980s. He has a long history of Shia political activism and continued to make public addresses for the group after Nasrallah went into hiding following the 2006 conflict with Israel.

Qassem has made three televised addresses since Nasrallah’s death, and issued a defiant message on September 30, asserting that Hezbollah was still ready to fight Israel and win.

Also read: Netanyahu claims Israel has eliminated Hezbollah chief Nasrallah’s successors

Fading leadership

After Nasrallah’s death in an Israeli strike in Beirut in late September, it has taken the Hezbollah a month to announce his successor, showing the possible lack of strong leaders within the group, having lost many of them to Israeli attacks.

Nasrallah’s cousin Hashem Safieddine was a potential candidate. However, he died in another Israeli strike on Beirut shortly after the former.