Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah on Tuesday elected its deputy secretary general Naim Qassem to replace secretary general Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Sept. 27.
In his third public address since Nasrallah’s death, Qassem on Oct. 15 reiterated the Iranian terror proxy’s unwavering support for Hamas, staunchly rejecting calls to separate a ceasefire in Lebanon from the situation in Gaza.
“We insisted on the demand for a ceasefire in Gaza—and we did not agree to their request to separate Lebanon from Gaza,” Qassem declared, dismissing international pressure to de-escalate the conflict along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Hezbollah has been committing near-daily rocket, missile and drone attacks against Israel since Oct. 8, 2023, a day after the Gaza-based terrorist group Hamas led a mass invasion of southern Israel, murdering some 1,200 people, kidnapping 251 others and committing widespread atrocities.
Qassem had served as deputy secretary general of the radical Shi’ite group since 1991.
The terror leader reportedly fled to Iran shortly after Nasrallah’s assassination.
According to a recent report in the UAE-based Erem News outlet, quoting an Iranian source, Qassem left Beirut on Oct. 5 for Damascus, before flying to Tehran. He was reportedly aboard the plane used by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for a state visit to Lebanon and Syria.
“The transfer of Naim Qassem to Tehran was by order of the higher authorities in Iran for fear of being assassinated by the Israeli entity, because he is on the list of wanted by the occupation government,” the Iranian source said.
The first speech Qassem delivered after Nasrallah’s assassination was delivered in Beirut, while the second and third were delivered from Tehran, according to the source.
Commenting on Qassem’s appointment, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tweeted on Tuesday afternoon, “Temporary appointment. Not for long.”