Sheikh Naim Qassem Assumes Leadership of Hezbollah After Nasrallah’s Death

In a significant shift in Hezbollah’s leadership, Sheikh Naim Qassem has been appointed the head of the Lebanese armed group, following the death of Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike last month. Qassem, a senior figure within Hezbollah for over three decades, stepped into his new role during a critical period of heightened hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel.

In a televised address from an undisclosed location, Qassem affirmed Hezbollah’s resilience, stating, “This is a battle of who cries first, and we will not be the first to cry.” Despite Israel’s “painful blows,” he declared Hezbollah’s capabilities intact. Notably, Qassem expressed conditional support for a ceasefire facilitated by parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a significant move as it marked Hezbollah’s first omission of a Gaza truce as a pre-condition for halting attacks on Israel.

Qassem’s appointment follows a turbulent period for Hezbollah, with the recent confirmed killing of senior member Hashem Safieddine and Nasrallah’s death in an airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs. Qassem, a Beirut native born in 1953, has deep-rooted connections within Lebanon’s Shi’ite community and has long been a prominent voice for Hezbollah. His early political activities were influenced by the Iranian Revolution, and he was instrumental in Hezbollah’s founding after departing the Amal Movement in 1979.