Naim Qassem named new Hezbollah chief, replacing Hassan Nasrallah
Qassem was reported to have fled to Tehran in early October following the September attack, fearing an Israeli-targeted strike.
Hezbollah elected Naim Qassem as Secretary-General, replacing the former leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in a strike in Beirut in September, the terror group announced on Tuesday.
Qassem has served as the terror group's deputy secretary-general for over three decades, acting as the terror group's spokesperson.
Earlier in October, the Emirati website Aram News reported, citing an Iranian source, that Qassem had relocated from Lebanon to Iran out of fear that Israel may attempt to assassinate him.
The report claimed that Qassem had been in Tehran since October 5.
The source added that Qassem left Beirut that same day on an Iranian plane, accompanied by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to Damascus, and from there, he continued to Tehran.
Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Iran congratulated Qassem on his new position, Ynet reported.
"Congratulations to our brothers in the Hezbollah leadership for choosing Qassem in place of the martyred Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, who lived as a fighter and was killed as a fighter," Ynet quoted Hamas as saying. "We see this election as evidence of the party's recovery from the attacks the leadership was subjected to."
The PIJ added "This is proof of the resistance's high ability to confront the enemy and cause them losses." The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also congratulated Qassem.
Potential Nasrallah successor, Safieddine killed by IDF
Last week, the IDF confirmed it had killed Nasrallah's potential successor, Hashem Safieddine earlier in October.
On September 27, the IDF struck Hezbollah’s underground headquarters in the center of Beirut, killing Nasrallah.
Shortly after Hezbollah's announcement on Tuesday, multiple rocket sirens sounded throughout northern Israel.
Following the appointment on Tuesday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant wrote in a post on X/Twitter, "Temporary appointment. Not for long."
Temporary appointment. Not for long. pic.twitter.com/ONu0GveApi
— יואב גלנט - Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) October 29, 2024
Reuters contributed to this report.
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