Hezbollah cleric Naim Kassem picked to lead the Lebanese militant group

BEIRUT -- Hezbollah announced connected Tuesday that it has chosen cleric Naim Kassem to lead nan Lebanese militant group aft nan sidesplitting of its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah successful an Israeli airstrike connected a Beirut suburb successful precocious September.

The group said successful a connection that Hezbollah’s decision-making Shura Council elected Kassem, 71, arsenic its caller secretary-general and vowed to proceed Nasrallah’s policies “until triumph is achieved.”

Since Nasrallah's decease arsenic portion of an Israeli violative that took retired galore of Hezbollah's elder officials, nan white-turbaned cleric pinch a grey beard has often been nan public look of nan Lebanese militant group. He is 1 of its founding members but is wide seen by supporters arsenic lacking his predecessor's charisma and oratory skills.

In a televised reside earlier this month, Kassem, who carries nan clerical title of sheikh, claimed Hezbollah's subject capabilities were intact aft Nasrallah's assassination and warned Israelis they will only suffer further arsenic fighting continues.

Kassem has been sanctioned by nan United States, which considers Hezbollah a violent group. His assignment came arsenic nary astonishment since he had served arsenic Nasrallah's lawman for 32 years and had besides agelong been Hezbollah’s nationalist face, giving interviews to section and overseas media outlets.

“This is simply a connection to Lebanon and overseas that Hezbollah has reorganized itself,” said Qassim Qassir, a Lebanese expert adjacent to Hezbollah.

Kassem's assignment shows Hezbollah is moving its ain affairs and not — arsenic immoderate person reported — that advisers from Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard are now successful complaint of nan group, Qassir added.

In an interview pinch The Associated Press successful July, Kassem said he didn’t judge that Israel had nan capacity — aliases had yet made nan determination — to motorboat a full-blown warfare pinch Hezbollah. But he warned that moreover if Israel intended to undertake a constricted cognition successful Lebanon that stopped short of a full-scale war, it should not expect nan fighting to stay limited.

A time aft Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, sidesplitting immoderate 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting astir 250 arsenic hostages, Hezbollah began attacking Israeli subject posts on nan separator pinch Lebanon, saying it was opening a backup beforehand for its Hamas allies.

The onslaught triggered nan yearlong Israel-Hamas warfare and Israel’s retaliatory offensive successful Gaza has killed complete 43,000 Palestinians, according to section wellness authorities.

“No 1 knows nan consequences of igniting nan warfare successful Lebanon, regionally and moreover internationally,” Kassem said astatine nan time, speaking from nan group’s governmental office successful Beirut’s confederate suburbs.

He said he was proud of Hezbollah's achievements successful its “support front” for Hamas, saying it “required sacrifices connected our part.”

Less than 3 months later, Israel expanded nan warfare successful Lebanon, leaving hundreds dormant and much than 1.2 cardinal group displaced. The penetration has caused wide demolition successful confederate and eastbound Lebanon, arsenic good arsenic Beirut’s confederate suburbs that are location to Hezbollah’s headquarters. Israeli troops prosecute successful regular fierce clashes pinch Hezbollah successful nan separator region arsenic they effort to push deeper into southbound Lebanon.

Hezbollah is still firing dozens of rockets and missiles into bluish Israel and successful caller days claimed an onslaught connected an Israeli subject guidelines southbound of Tel Aviv. It besides claimed work for a drone onslaught that deed nan location of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month. No 1 was wounded successful that attack.

Born successful 1953 successful nan municipality of Kfar Fila successful confederate Lebanon, Kassem studied chemistry astatine nan Lebanese University earlier moving for respective years arsenic a chemistry teacher. He simultaneously pursued belief studies and participated successful founding nan Lebanese Union for Muslim Students, an statement meant to beforehand religion.

In nan 1970s, he joined nan Movement of nan Dispossessed, a governmental statement that pushed for greater practice for Lebanon’s historically overlooked and impoverished Shiite community.

The group shape-shifted into nan Amal movement, 1 of nan main equipped groups successful Lebanon’s civilian warfare and now a powerful governmental statement led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Kassem past joined nan nascent Hezbollah, formed pinch support from Iran aft Israel invaded Lebanon successful 1982 and occupied nan country’s confederate region.

From 1991, Kassem served arsenic nan group's deputy, initially nether Nasrallah’s predecessor, Abbas Mousawi, who was killed by an Israeli chopper onslaught successful 1992.

Kassem's prime to nan helm of Hezbollah came a week aft it confirmed that Hashem Safieddine — a apical fig who had been wide expected to win Nasrallah — was killed successful an Israeli airstrike connected confederate Beirut earlier this month.

Safieddine was Nasrallah's relative and had adjacent links to Iran wherever he spent years of his life. Safieddine's son, Rida, is joined to Zeinab Soleimani, nan girl of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, caput of Iran’s elite Quds Force, who was killed successful a U.S. airstrike successful Iraq successful 2020.

“We inquire God to thief him successful nan awesome ngo successful starring Hezbollah and nan Islamic Resistance,” Hezbollah said successful its connection astir Kassem.

In different rustle to Hezbollah, thousands of connection devices utilized by its members — some fighters and workers pinch nan group's civilian institutions — exploded near-simultaneously successful mid-September, sidesplitting 39 group and wounding astir 3,000. Israel was blamed for nan onslaught that near scores of others pinch imperishable disabilities.

Kasse's prime is "proof that Hezbollah is not frightened regarding nan developments,” Qassir besides said.