Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has appointed Naim Qassem as the new head of its organisation. Qassem is to succeed former Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli air attack on Beirut‘s southern suburb over a month ago.
Qassem has been a senior figure in the Iran-backed movement for more than 30 years, known to have operated in Nasrallah‘s shadow. He was appointed as Hezbollah’s deputy chief in 1991, retaining this position when Nasrallah came to power.
Qassem was not initially tipped to succeed Nasrallah. Hashem Safieddine, the head of Hezbollah’s executive council is believed to have been in line for the top post, however he was killed in an Israeli strike shortly after Nasrallah’s assassination.
The 71-year old has long been one of Hezbollah’s leading spokesmen, acting as the most group’s most senior official to make public appearances, after Nasrallah largely went into hiding following the group’s 2006 war with Israel.
Qassem took part in meetings that led to the formation of Hezbollah, established with the backing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982.