Lebanon's Hezbollah will select a successor to its late secretary-general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, "at the earliest opportunity" and will persist in its struggle against Israel, according to the Iran-backed group's deputy chief, Naim Qassem. Qassem made these remarks in a televised address, marking the first public appearance by a Hezbollah official since Nasrallah's death on Friday in an Israeli air strike on the southern suburbs of Lebanon's capital.
"We will choose a secretary-general for the party at the earliest opportunity...and we will fill the leadership and positions on a permanent basis," Qassem stated, speaking from an undisclosed location with wooden panels as a backdrop.
Here are some key details about Qassem:
— Qassem is a seasoned figure within the group, having served as deputy secretary-general since 1991.
— He was appointed to this role under Hezbollah's late secretary-general, Abbas Al Musawi, who was assassinated by an Israeli helicopter attack in 1992. Qassem continued in his position when Nasrallah assumed leadership.
— His political journey began with the Lebanese Amal Movement, established in 1974. He parted ways with Amal in 1979 following Iran's Islamic Revolution, which profoundly influenced the political outlook of many young Lebanese Shia activists. He was involved in meetings that culminated in the formation of Hezbollah, which was founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982.
— Qassem has long been one of Hezbollah's primary spokespersons, frequently engaging with foreign media. During the Gaza war, as cross-border hostilities escalated with Israel, he informed Al Jazeera in June that Hezbollah's stance was not to escalate the conflict but to defend itself if necessary.
— He has coordinated Hezbollah's parliamentary election campaigns since the group first participated in them in 1992.
— Born in 1953 in Beirut's Basta Tahta district, Qassem's family hails from Kfar Fila, a predominantly Shia region in southern Lebanon. He is married and has six children.
