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Israeli Defense Minister: Naeem Qassem’s Appointment as Hezbollah Leader is 'Temporary and Won't Last
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that the election of Naeem Qassem as the new Secretary-General of Hezbollah, succeeding Hassan Nasrallah, is a “temporary appointment that will not last long.”
This marks Israel's first official comment on Qassem's election following Nasrallah's assassination, which was carried out by Israel in an airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut on September 27.
Gallant accompanied his statement with a photo of Qassem in a post on the platform X, stating, “Temporary appointment. It won’t last long.” Over the past two months, Israel has announced the killing of dozens of major political and military leaders within Hezbollah.
Earlier on Tuesday, Hezbollah announced the election of Naeem Qassem as its Secretary-General, replacing Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed due to Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut on September 27.
In a statement received by Anadolu, Hezbollah declared, "In adherence to the principles and goals of Hezbollah, and according to the established mechanism for electing the Secretary-General, the Shura Council of Hezbollah has agreed to elect His Eminence Sheikh Naeem Qassem as Secretary-General."
Following clashes with factions in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, that erupted after Israel launched a campaign of mass extermination in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, resulting in over 144,000 Palestinian deaths and injuries, Tel Aviv has sought to expand its campaign to include most areas of Lebanon, including the capital Beirut, through aerial bombardments, and has also initiated a ground invasion in southern Lebanon.
Daily, Hezbollah retaliates by launching rockets, drones, and artillery shells targeting military sites, intelligence headquarters, military gatherings, and settlements. While Israel occasionally announces some of its human and material losses, military censorship imposes strict secrecy on most casualties, according to observers.
