BEIRUT: Hezbollah has appointed Naim Qassem as its new leader hours after the death of its long-time chief, Hassan Nasrallah, in an Israeli overnight airstrike in Lebanon. The organization confirmed Nasrallah’s death on Saturday. Before this appointment, Qassem served as Hezbollah’s deputy leader.
The Israeli military reported that during an operation dubbed “New Order,” they dropped 80 bombs—each containing one ton of explosives—on Hezbollah’s central headquarters in the Dahieh area near Beirut on Friday. The airstrikes not only resulted in Nasrallah’s death but killed his daughter, Zainab Nasrallah, and Hezbollah’s southern front commander, Ali Al-Kurki.
Israeli forces intensified their bombing once they confirmed Nasrallah was in a bunker, leading to the fatal strike. His death represents a significant blow to both Hezbollah and its backers in Iran, as he was a key figure in the Tehran-backed “Axis of Resistance,” which has sought to extend Iranian influence throughout the Middle East.
In addition to Nasrallah, Israeli forces have targeted several other top Hezbollah commanders, including Fuad Shukr, Ibrahim Aqil, Ibrahim Mohammed Kobeissi, and Mohammed Srur, in a series of strikes on the movement’s stronghold in Beirut.
Lebanese health authorities reported six dead and 91 wounded from the initial attack on Friday, with expectations that the toll could rise significantly. In total, more than 700 people have been killed in strikes over the past week, according to authorities.
In June, Qassem warned through Iran’s Mehr News Agency that Hezbollah would respond decisively if Israel expanded its military operations. He emphasized, “We will never surrender in the face of threats such as the expansion of war. We are determined to continue supporting Gaza and will not cease our operations against Israel as long as the occupiers continue their massacres and acts of aggression in Gaza.”
