Naim Kasem rises to leadership amid escalating tensions
Naim Kasem has been appointed the new leader of the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah, replacing the late Hassan Nasrallah. The previous leader was killed at the end of September in an Israeli attack in Beirut.
The former deputy secretary general, Naim Kasem, has taken over leadership of the Shiite organization supported by Iran. He had served as the second-in-command in Hezbollah since 1991, when he replaced Abbas al-Musawi, who was killed by the Israeli army.
As reported by Reuters, the previous presumed successor to Nasrallah was Hashem Safieddine. He, too, was eliminated by the Israeli armed forces, and Hezbollah confirmed his death on October 23rd of this year, Eastern Time.
Born in 1953 in Beirut, Kasem began his political career at a young age. Reuters said he became fully involved in political activities after the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979. He participated in meetings that led to the formation of Hezbollah as Iran's response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982.
Kasem also served as Hezbollah’s spokesperson and gave numerous interviews to Western media. After Nasrallah's death, on October 8th, he issued a statement on behalf of the organization, declaring that Hezbollah would not cease its fight against Israel and would soon choose a new leader.
Kasem is reportedly in Tehran. He is said to have left Lebanon on a plane belonging to the Iranian Foreign Minister.
Regular exchange of fire in Lebanon
For over a year, Hezbollah has been regularly shelling northern Israel, expressing solidarity with Palestinian Hamas. All of this is connected to the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip. These attacks are met with strong counterstrikes from Israel. As a result of the shelling, dozens of people have been killed, and about 60,000 residents have been evacuated and still cannot return to their homes.
In early September, Israel increased its attacks on Hezbollah targets. At that time, a coordinated attack on the communication facilities of this organization, attributed to Israeli services, took place. Since the beginning of October, Israeli forces have also been conducting a ground offensive in southern Lebanon. According to media and Lebanese authorities, the over-a-month-long escalation of the conflict has forced around 1.2 million residents of Lebanon to flee.
The Israeli army reports that over the past year, more than 2,000 Hezbollah militants have been eliminated, including nearly all senior commanders and a significant portion of the group's combat potential has been destroyed. Despite this, the exchange of fire continues, and there is little indication that the situation in this part of the world will improve soon.
