Lebanon‘s Hezbollah militant group on Tuesday introduced that it has elected Sheikh Naim Qassem, a long-time chief inside the Iran-backed Lebanese group, as its new head. The choice to elect Naim Qassem, beforehand serving as deputy chief, because the group’s head comes following secretary common Hassan Nasrallah‘s dying in an Israeli assault in southern Beirut a number of weeks in the past.
Qassem, who has been a part of Hezbollah’s senior management for over 30 years, gave a televised deal with on October 8 from an undisclosed location. In his speech, he described the battle with Israel as a “struggle about who cries first” and affirmed that Hezbollah wouldn’t be the primary to cry. He famous that, regardless of struggling “painful blows” from Israel, Hezbollah’s capabilities stay intact.
For the primary time, Qassem expressed help for efforts by Hezbollah ally and parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri to dealer a ceasefire, omitting a earlier situation {that a} Gaza truce should precede halting Hezbollah’s assaults on Israel.
The 30-minute broadcast got here quickly after a reported Israeli strike that allegedly focused senior Hezbollah determine Hashem Safieddine, and 11 days after the dying of Hezbollah secretary common Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli assault. Hezbollah confirmed Safieddine’s dying on October 23.
Who’s Naim Qassem?
- Born in Beirut in 1953 to a household from the border village of
Kfar Fila , Sheikh Naim Qassem started his political journey with the Lebanese Shi’ite Amal Motion, a Hezbollah ally.
- He left Amal in 1979 after the Islamic revolution in Iran which was a precursor to the formation of Hezbollah three years later.
- Qassem was appointed deputy chief of Hezbollah in 1991 by Abbas al-Musawi, the then-leader of Hezbollah who was killed the next 12 months in an Israeli helicopter strike. Qassem continued on this place after Nasrallah turned chief, serving as one in every of Hezbollah’s main spokespersons, particularly throughout latest escalations with Israel.
- Since 1992, he has coordinated Hezbollah’s parliamentary election campaigns
- He’s additionally the creator of a 2005 guide offering an inside look into the group.
- He was essentially the most senior Hezbollah official to make public appearances after Nasrallah largely went into hiding following the group’s 2006 struggle with Israel.
- Qassem wears a white turban in contrast to Nasrallah and Safieddine, whose black turbans denoted their standing as descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.
