Factbox: Who is Sheikh Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s Deputy Leader Speaking on Monday?

Hezbollah Aims to Appoint New Leader Following Nasrallah’s Death

Hezbollah’s deputy secretary general, Sheikh Naim Qassem, announced that the organization plans to appoint a new leader as soon as possible to succeed Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. He emphasized that the Iran-backed group remains committed to its struggle against Israel.

Qassem’s televised address, lasting 19 minutes, was the first by a senior Hezbollah official after Nasrallah’s recent death due to an Israeli airstrike. This loss represents a significant setback for the organization amid an escalating series of Israeli attacks.

Who is Naim Qassem?

Here are some key details about Sheikh Naim Qassem:

• He has been a prominent figure in Hezbollah, serving as deputy secretary general since 1991.
• Qassem was appointed to this role under the late leader Abbas al-Musawi, who was killed in an Israeli helicopter strike in 1992. He maintained this position as Nasrallah took over as the group’s leader.
• His political career began with the Lebanese Shi’ite Amal Movement, which he joined in 1974. He departed from Amal in 1979, influenced by the Islamic Revolution in Iran that reshaped the views of many young Lebanese Shi’ite activists. Subsequently, he participated in discussions that led to the founding of Hezbollah by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982.
• As a spokesperson for Hezbollah, he has frequently engaged with international media. During the Gaza conflict, he remarked in an interview that Hezbollah would not seek to expand the war but was prepared to respond if necessary.
• Qassem has also been responsible for coordinating Hezbollah’s parliamentary election campaigns since the group first participated in elections in 1992.
• Born in 1953 in the Basta Tahta neighborhood of Beirut, he has familial roots in Kfar Fila, a southern Lebanese village predominantly inhabited by Shi’ites. He is married and has six children.

This statement reflects Hezbollah’s determination to continue its operations following a period of turmoil and leadership transition.