BEIRUT - Israel has issued a stark warning that it intends to assassinate Hezbollah's newly appointed leader, Naim Qassem, who took over the role following the recent death of his predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah. Qassem, formerly the group’s long-standing deputy secretary-general, was named leader just this morning, marking a shift in Hezbollah's command for the first time in over three decades.
Deputy secretary general Naim Qassem (pictured) was today elected and named the leader of the terror group
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, overseeing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), posted a message shortly after Qassem's appointment, sharing his photo and a warning that the position would be a "temporary appointment." Gallant’s declaration reflects escalating tensions following a series of deadly strikes on Hezbollah’s senior leadership. Just weeks ago, Israel executed a targeted airstrike that killed Nasrallah in Beirut’s southern suburbs, in what was termed "Operation New Order," which reportedly decimated half of Hezbollah's leadership council.
Lebanon's Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem leads funeral prayers during the funeral of Hezbollah senior leader Ibrahim Aqil and Hezbollah member Mahmoud Hamad, who were killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, in Beirut, Lebanon, September 22, 2024
Qassem, a 71-year-old Shiite cleric with deep roots in Hezbollah since its founding in the early 1980s, ascends to leadership amid active conflict between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces along the Lebanon-Israel border. IDF airstrikes on Beirut continue, compounding regional hostilities as the long-standing group faces leadership uncertainties and military pressure.
Hezbollah pledged to carry forward its "flame of resistance" under Qassem’s guidance, as the group is drawn further into regional escalations.
Source: Aljazeera
