Hezbollah Elects Naim Kassem as Head to Succeed Nasrallah

Naim Qassemdeputy leader

My work program is a continuation of the work program of our [former] leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,

Qassem said, according to a translation from France24.

Naim Qassemdeputy leader

Get out of our land to reduce your losses,

Qassem warned the Israeli military, claiming

Eliminating Shahdi is part of the effort to degrade Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces' capabilities to direct and execute terrorist activities against IDF troops and communities in the northern border, in particular the 'Conquer the Galilee' plan,

Israeli military officials said in a statement announcing the successful operation

Ultimately, he’s one of the last standing figures of the political and religious leadership cadre that was eligible to be elected secretary-general,

Blanford said

He was hoping to become Hezbollah’s secretary-general when Musawi was killed in 1992,

Nicholas Blanford, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programme, told Al Jazeera

That has been the history of Zionism,

Jumblatt said

There is no Hezbollah and Iran — there’s just Iran,

Geagea said in an interview with POLITICO

Being Lebanese, I cannot approve of any attack on Lebanon,

he responded to that question

We need a clear path because it is really unacceptable for a country like Lebanon to endure more than 35 years living in a bubble of lies,

he said

We started building during war-time. So we took into consideration it should be solid in order to sustain shelling. So it is solid,

he says

We have been living for the past 20, 30, 40 years without a real state in Lebanon. All the strategic decisions for Lebanon have been made outside the country,

he said

There is no solution in Lebanon except to dismantle this organization as a military force,

it wrote

His tenure in this position may be the shortest in the history of this terrorist organization if he follows in the footsteps of his predecessors Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine."

In its official Arabic account on X, the Israeli government said

Yoav Gallantdefence Minister

Temporary appointment. Not for long."

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was curt in his response to Qassem's elevation, posting a picture of the new leader to social media with a short caption

Hezbollah's (governing) Shura Council agreed to elect ... Sheikh Naim Qassem as secretary general of Hezbollah,

the militant group said in a statement on Tuesday

Yoav Gallantdefence Minister

The appointment is temporary. The countdown has begun."

Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gollant sent a chilling threat in Hebrew on X in response to the announcement saying

Based on faith in God Almighty, commitment to the authentic Muhammadan Islam, adherence to the principles and goals of Hezbollah."

The post from Hezbollah stated

We will confront any possibility, and we are ready if the Israelis decide to enter by land,

he said last month