New Hezbollah leader: Naim Qassem takes command as interim chief

BEIRUT: Hezbollah has appointed veteran leader Naim Qassem as its interim chief following the assassination of its long-serving secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike on Saturday.

Nasrallah’s death as leader of Hezbollah was a huge blow to the Lebanon-based organisation. The group played an important role in resisting Israel for years, along with Hamas and Houthis in Yemen.

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While Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported Nasrallah’s death immediately, the group itself confirmed it much later. The IDF stated it was part of an operation christened “New Order”.

The brutal attack involved dropping over a combined 80 tonne bombs on Hezbollah’s central headquarters in the Dahiya district of Beirut.

Nasrallah’s daughter, Zainab Nasrallah, also passed away in the relentless strikes. Mohammad Ismail, a key commander within Hezbollah ranks, and Ali al-Kurki also perished.

The indiscriminate bombardment by the occupying forces also killed over 800 Lebanese, while injuring thousands.

The new interim chief, Naim Qaseem, has previously served as Hezbollah’s deputy leader, and will now guide the group until a permanent successor is named.

The septuagenarian is one of Hezbollah’s founding members and has always held an important position within the organisation.

The 72-year-old was born in southern Lebanon in a small town called Kafr Qila. Naim Qassem began his political career in the 1970s when he joined Musa al-Sadr’s Amal Movement.

He would then go on to study chemistry, graduating with an undergraduate degree from the Lebanese University. He would received his religious education under Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah.

The young man then began part of a powerful group of scholars that would later form Hezbollah in the 1980s.

The new interim chief has served as Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General since 1991. He has played a critical role in shaping the group’s ideology and military strategies.

Naim Qassem as the new interim chief, now faces an uphill task of providing a much-needed stability and future plans for the organisation as it reels from brutal Israeli aggression.

His long history with the group and previous leadership roles are expected to be valuable as the Lebanon-based group charts it future plans.

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In the meantime, the group has vowed to continue resisting against the occupiers in Palestine.

Among the candidates being considered for a new permanent leader to guide Hezbollah include Hashim Safiuddin, Naim Qassem’s son-in-law.