Media reports: Hezbollah appoints new leader
The Lebanese group Hezbollah has allegedly appointed Sheikh Naim Qassem as the successor to the late Hassan Nasrallah. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Hezbollah has reportedly designated Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem as its new leader, following the death of Hassan Nasrallah. Media outlets Al Jazeera and Al-Arabiya reported on the appointment Tuesday, referencing a statement from Hezbollah.
This development comes after the killings of Nasrallah and a possible successor in recent Israeli airstrikes.
Qassem, who has been a close aide to the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, has been fulfilling the role of acting leader since Nasrallah’s passing. The group cited Qassem's selection was due to his “adherence to the principles and goals of Hezbollah,” according to Al Jazeera.
At 71 years old, Qassem has been labeled as Hezbollah’s ‘number two’ and is recognized as one of the religious scholars who helped establish the group in the early 1980s. Earlier this month, he expressed that Hezbollah’s armed wing backs efforts for a ceasefire with Israel.
Israel and Hezbollah have experienced intermittent clashes following Israel's military response to Hamas’ surprise attack on October 7 last year. In September, Israel intensified its military actions against Hezbollah with Operation Northern Arrows, targeting positions in southern Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Foreign Ministry asserted that they had “eliminated” nearly all of Hezbollah’s senior military commanders in their recent airstrikes.
Hassan Nasrallah, a cleric and politician who had held the position of Hezbollah’s secretary-general since 1992, was killed in an airstrike in Beirut late last month. A potential successor, Hashem Safieddine, was reported to have been killed shortly after, according to the IDF. Following these developments, Qassem has reportedly taken shelter in Tehran, Iran, since early October, moving from Lebanon due to worries about possible Israeli assassination attempts.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
This development comes after the killings of Nasrallah and a possible successor in recent Israeli airstrikes.
Qassem, who has been a close aide to the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, has been fulfilling the role of acting leader since Nasrallah’s passing. The group cited Qassem's selection was due to his “adherence to the principles and goals of Hezbollah,” according to Al Jazeera.
At 71 years old, Qassem has been labeled as Hezbollah’s ‘number two’ and is recognized as one of the religious scholars who helped establish the group in the early 1980s. Earlier this month, he expressed that Hezbollah’s armed wing backs efforts for a ceasefire with Israel.
Israel and Hezbollah have experienced intermittent clashes following Israel's military response to Hamas’ surprise attack on October 7 last year. In September, Israel intensified its military actions against Hezbollah with Operation Northern Arrows, targeting positions in southern Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Foreign Ministry asserted that they had “eliminated” nearly all of Hezbollah’s senior military commanders in their recent airstrikes.
Hassan Nasrallah, a cleric and politician who had held the position of Hezbollah’s secretary-general since 1992, was killed in an airstrike in Beirut late last month. A potential successor, Hashem Safieddine, was reported to have been killed shortly after, according to the IDF. Following these developments, Qassem has reportedly taken shelter in Tehran, Iran, since early October, moving from Lebanon due to worries about possible Israeli assassination attempts.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
