Finally, after weeks of waiting, Hezbollah of Lebanon chose the successor of Hassan Nasrallah and introduced Naim Qasim as its new leader. Who is Naeem Qasim?
Kabul 24: Mr. Qassem said in a video at an undisclosed location on Tuesday, October 8 (17 Aqrab) that the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel is a war about “who will shed tears first”, adding that it will not be Hezbollah. He emphasized that despite the “painful blows” from Israel, the capabilities of this group still remain.
He added that this group supports the efforts of Nabih Berri, Speaker of the Majlis and an ally of Hezbollah, to ensure a ceasefire. This was the first time that an official from Hezbollah did not mention the cease-fire agreement in Gaza as a precondition for stopping Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel.
Who is Naeem Qasim?
In 1991, Mr. Qasim was appointed as Hezbollah’s deputy by Abbas al-Mousavi, the then secretary general of Hezbollah, who was killed in an Israeli helicopter attack the following year.
He remained in the post after Nasrallah became secretary-general, has long been a prominent spokesman for Hezbollah, and has given interviews to foreign media, including during last year’s border tensions with Israel.
Naim Qassem announced on September 30 that Hezbollah would choose a successor to its slain general secretary at the “first opportunity” and would continue to fight Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians. “What we are doing is minimal … we know the battle may be long,” he said in a 19-minute speech.
Born in Beirut in 1953 in a family from southern Lebanon, Naeem Qassem began his political career with the Lebanese Shiite movement Amal. Following the Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979, which affected the political thinking of many Lebanese Shia youth, he separated from this group.
He participated in the meetings that led to the formation of Hezbollah. Hezbollah was founded with the support of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and in response to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Since Hezbollah’s participation in the parliamentary elections in 1992, he has been the main coordinator of the group’s election campaigns.
In 2005, Mr. Qasim wrote a book about the history of Hezbollah, which is seen as a rare inside look at this organization. Unlike Hassan Nasrallah and Safiuddin, Naeem Qasim is not a Sayyid and wears a white turban.
He is the first member of Hezbollah’s senior leadership to send a video message since Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike south of Beirut on September 27.
His 30-minute video speech came 11 days after Israel killed Hezbollah Secretary-General Seyed Hassan Nasrallah, and just days after it was alleged that Hashem Safiuddin, one of Hezbollah’s top figures, may have been targeted by Israel
