Who is Hezbollah’s new leader Sheikh Naim Qassem?

Hezbollah’s lawman caput wide Sheikh Naim Qassem, elected caput of nan Lebanese equipped group connected Tuesday, has been a elder fig successful nan Iran-backed movement for much than 30 years.

Speaking successful beforehand of curtains from an undisclosed location connected Oct. 8, Qassem said nan conflict betwixt Hezbollah and Israel was a war astir who cries first, and Hezbollah would not outcry first.

The group’s capabilities were intact contempt “painful blows” from Israel.

But he added nan group supported nan efforts of parliament speaker Nabih Berri – a Hezbollah state – to unafraid a ceasefire, for nan first clip omitting immoderate mention of a Gaza truce woody arsenic a pre-condition for halting nan group’s occurrence connected Israel.

His 30-minute televised reside came conscionable days aft senior Hezbollah figure Hashem Safieddine was thought to person been nan target of an Israeli onslaught and 11 days aft nan sidesplitting of Hezbollah’s caput wide Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Safieddine’s sidesplitting was confirmed by Hezbollah connected Oct. 23.

Qassem was appointed lawman main successful 1991 by nan equipped group’s then-secretary wide Abbas al-Musawi, who was killed by an Israeli chopper onslaught nan pursuing year.

Qassem remained successful his domiciled erstwhile Nasrallah became leader, and has agelong been 1 of Hezbollah’s starring spokesmen, conducting interviews pinch overseas media including arsenic cross-border hostilities pinch Israel raged complete nan past year.

Qassem’s televised reside connected Oct. 8 was his 2nd since hostilities betwixt Israel and Hezbollah intensified successful September.

He was the first personnel of Hezbollah’s apical leadership to make televised remarks after Nasrallah’s killing in an Israeli aerial onslaught connected Beirut’s confederate suburbs connected Sept. 27.

Speaking connected Sept. 30, Qassem said Hezbollah would take a successor to its slain caput wide “at nan earliest opportunity” and would proceed to conflict Israel successful solidarity pinch Palestinians.

“What we are doing is nan bare minimum… We cognize that nan conflict whitethorn beryllium long,” he said successful a 19-minute speech.

Born successful 1953 successful Beirut to a family from Lebanon’s south, Qassem’s governmental activism began pinch nan Lebanese Shi’ite Amal Movement.

He near nan group successful 1979 successful nan aftermath of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, which shaped nan governmental reasoning of galore young Lebanese Shi’ite activists.

Qassem took portion successful meetings that led to nan statement of Hezbollah, established pinch nan backing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards successful consequence to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon successful 1982.

He has been nan wide coordinator of Hezbollah’s parliamentary predetermination campaigns since nan group first contested them successful 1992.

In 2005, he wrote a history of Hezbollah seen arsenic a uncommon “insider’s look” into nan organisation.

Qassem wears a achromatic turban dissimilar Nasrallah and Safieddine, whose achromatic turbans denoted their position arsenic descendants of nan Prophet Muhammad.