"Threats have not stopped us, and we do not fear the most dangerous events. We are ready to confront all military scenarios," the newly appointed Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, stated.
Who is Sheikh Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's new Secretary-General?
Born in 1953 in Beirut's Basta El Tahta, Qassem hails from Kfar Fila in southern Lebanon. He studied chemistry at the Lebanese University, earning both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in 1977. He taught in public high schools for several years while pursuing religious studies.
Qassem's political career began in 1974 with the Amal Movement, which he left in 1979 after the Iranian Revolution. He spent years lecturing in various mosques and Husayniyya in Beirut and the southern suburbs until Hezbollah was founded in 1982. He participated in the party's establishment meetings and has served on its Shura Council for three terms.
Initially responsible for educational and scouting activities in Beirut, Qassem later became deputy chairman and then chairman of the Executive Council.
In 1991, he was appointed Deputy Secretary-General, a position he held until after the assassination of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, leading up to October 29, 2024.