DUBAI, UAE - Hezbollah’s Shura Council elected Naim Qassem on Tuesday as the new Secretary-General of the Lebanese militant and political organization following the assassination of its longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in an Israeli airstrike in late September. 

In a statement released Tuesday, Hezbollah’s leadership said that the council had unanimously agreed on Qassem’s appointment.

The statement described him as a “steadfast bearer of the blessed banner” and expressed hope that “Allah Almighty will guide him in this noble mission” as he steps into the role of leading Hezbollah and its affiliated forces.

The council noted that Qassem’s selection follows the organization’s formal procedures for choosing a new Secretary-General, underscoring that the decision reflects Hezbollah’s “faith in Allah Almighty, adherence to pure Muhammadan Islam, and commitment to the principles and goals of the party.”

The group pledged its continued loyalty to “the spirit of our most esteemed martyr, His Eminence Hassan Nasrallah, to the martyrs, the fighters of the Islamic resistance, and to our steadfast, patient, and loyal people.”

Hezbollah leaders further vowed to work toward the party’s objectives and maintain the “flame of resistance until victory is achieved.”

In late September, Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting the group’s central headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs, following Israeli intelligence reports of a leadership meeting at the location.

A week later, Hezbollah's head of the Executive Council, Hashem Safieddin, was also killed in a separate Israeli airstrike on the same area, an incident Hezbollah condemned as “criminal Zionist aggression.”

Who is Naim Qassem?

Qassem is a veteran leader within Hezbollah, serving as Deputy Secretary-General since 1991. Originally a member of the Amal Movement, he left in 1979 following the Iranian Revolution, which shaped his political views.

Qassem helped establish Hezbollah in 1982 and has been a prominent spokesperson for the group, especially during wars with Israel.

He has coordinated Hezbollah’s parliamentary campaigns since 1992 and authored a book in 2005 providing a rare insider perspective on the organization.

Born in Beirut in 1953, Qassem’s family is from southern Lebanon, and he has six children.