The new secretary-general of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, alongside the former head of Hezbollah's Executive Council, Hachem Safieddine, during a ceremony in the southern suburbs of Beirut in 2016. (Crtedit: Anwar Amro/AFP Archives)
Naim Qassem, the fourth secretary-general of Hezbollah. On Tuesday, the party announced that Qassem, previously the party's deputy leader, has been appointed as its leader, succeeding Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated by Israel just over a month ago. To many analysts who did not expect a nomination before the end of the war, this announcement may come as a surprise. Israel appears to be determined to eliminate the party's key leaders as part of the war it is waging in Lebanon. Immediately after this announcement, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen's comments that "anyone at the head of this party risks being targeted for assassination" were cited in Israeli media, while Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant described this appointment as "temporary," adding that "the countdown has begun."The election of a new secretary-general by the Shura...
Naim Qassem, the fourth secretary-general of Hezbollah. On Tuesday, the party announced that Qassem, previously the party's deputy leader, has been appointed as its leader, succeeding Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated by Israel just over a month ago. To many analysts who did not expect a nomination before the end of the war, this announcement may come as a surprise. Israel appears to be determined to eliminate the party's key leaders as part of the war it is waging in Lebanon. Immediately after this announcement, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen's comments that "anyone at the head of this party risks being targeted for assassination" were cited in Israeli media, while Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant described this appointment as "temporary," adding that "the countdown has begun."The election of a new secretary-general by the...
