“Countdown Begins”: Israel Labels New Hezbollah Chief as “Temporary Appointment”

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The Iran-backed Hezbollah group announced on Tuesday that Naim Qassem has been appointed to succeed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli strike last month. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant responded, calling Qassem’s leadership a “temporary appointment,” suggesting he “won’t last long.”

This statement from Gallant came shortly after Hezbollah’s announcement of Qassem’s promotion from deputy head following Nasrallah’s death in a Beirut strike in late September. Gallant posted Qassem’s photograph on X, captioned “Temporary appointment. Not for long,” and added in Hebrew that “the countdown has begun.”

Qassem, born in Beirut in 1953, was among Hezbollah’s founding members in 1982 and has served as the group’s deputy secretary general since 1991. As the most senior official to make public appearances after Nasrallah went into hiding in 2006, Qassem brings a visible leadership presence.

The ongoing Israel-Hezbollah conflict has seen significant escalation along the Lebanese border following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israeli towns. Since late September, Israeli strikes have intensified on Hezbollah’s strongholds, resulting in the deaths of over 1,700 people in Lebanon, including top Hezbollah leaders, and the loss of 37 Israeli soldiers.

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