Israel says new Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem is 'temporary appointment'

In a clear warning, Israel's defence minister Yoav Gallant said on Tuesday that the election of new Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem is a "temporary appointment".

"Temporary appointment. Not for long," Galland said on X, while sharing a picture of Qassem. In a separate post in Hebrew, Gallant wrote that the "countdown has begun".





Earlier in the day, the militant group confirmed that it had elected deputy head Naim Qassem as the next secretary general to succeed Hassan Nasrallah.

Hezbollah announced that Naim Qassem has been selected as the new secretary general, following the death of Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike on southern Beirut several weeks ago.

According to an official statement, the organization's Shura Council elected Qassem, 71, in accordance with its established mechanism for choosing a secretary general.

Qassem was selected as Hezbollah's deputy leader by Abbas al-Musawi in 1991, who was then secretary general. Al-Musawi was later killed in an Israeli helicopter attack in 1992.

After Nasrallah assumed leadership, Qassem continued serving as deputy chief. He has been a prominent voice for Hezbollah, regularly engaging with international media, including as cross-border hostilities with Israel raged over the last year.

Since Nasrallah died in a huge Israeli air strike on September 27, Qassem has made three televised addresses.

Qassem's appointment comes after Nasrallah's death on September 27, followed by the killing of Hashem Safieddine, Nasrallah's proposed successor, in Israeli military operations the following week.