Hezbollah has elected its deputy secretary general, Sheikh Naim Qassem, as its new leader, concluding a month-long leadership vacuum following the death of the group's long-time leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israel.

Axar.az reports that , citing the Guardian, since Nasrallah's death, Qassem has stepped in for him, giving a public address earlier this month in which he vowed that Hezbollah would continue to fight Israel in what it describes as a war of attrition, despite suffering painful losses.

Qassem has served as the group's deputy secretary general since 1991 and has been one of its most prominent officials after Nasrallah, frequently speaking on behalf of the group at rallies and in interviews. Born in Beirut and originally from southern Lebanon, Qassem was initially involved with the Lebanese Shia Amal movement before becoming a founding member of Hezbollah in the early 1980s.

Shortly after his appointment, Israel’s Arabic-language account warned on X that Qassem’s tenure “may be short if he follows in the footsteps” of his predecessors Nasrallah and Safieddine, and called for Hezbollah to disarrm.