By Jerald Jimenez
30 Sep 2024, 09:06 AM EDT
Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Naim Qassem announced that the Shiite group will appoint a new leader “as soon as possible” following the assassination of Hasan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike last Friday in the southern suburbs of Beirut, known as Dahye.
Qassem affirmed that the process of electing the new general secretary will be carried out in accordance with the party’s internal procedures, in what was his first public intervention after the incident.
“In times of war, we always have alternatives for our leaders. When one commander falls, another takes his place,” declared the Hezbollah deputy secretary.
Likewise, Qassem also conveyed a message of calm to Hezbollah followers, ensuring that the group is united and prepared to face the situation: “The options will be clear and we are united,” he stated.
Although no specific details were provided about who could succeed Nasrallah, Hashem Safi al Din, head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, is believed to be the main candidate to take over the leadership, the EFE agency reported.
Qassem did not immediately mention whether a funeral would be held for Nasrallah, which has generated uncertainty among the Lebanese population. However, he emphasized that Hezbollah will continue with its objectives and strategies previously established by Nasrallah.
“Our march continues and we will continue with the command and control system as it was designed,” said Qassem, who denied Israel’s claims that some 20 senior Hezbollah officials were also killed during the attack that killed Nasrallah.
The Israeli Defense Forces stated that Nasrallah was accompanied by his personal security chief, Ibrahim Husseini, and another person identified as Samir Jihad, who also died in the bombing.