Sheikh Naim Kassem has been the acting leader of Hezbollah since its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed as part of an Israeli offensive that has taken out many of the Lebanese militant group’s senior officials. Kassem made a defiant televised speech claiming that the group’s military capabilities are intact and Israelis will only suffer further as fighting continues.
Like Nasrallah, Kassem is one of the founding members of the Shiite political party and armed group, but he is widely seen as lacking the former leader’s charisma and oratory skills. Still, the white-turbaned cleric with a gray beard has often been the public face of the group. Kassem continued to show up at rallies and ceremonies, and he has sat for interviews with foreign journalists even after Nasrallah went underground to avoid assassination by Israel, appearing only in televised speeches.
Mohanad Hage Ali, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center think tank who researches Hezbollah, mentioned that Kassem is perceived by many as “more extreme” than Nasrallah, at least in his public statements. However, his power within the group was limited under Nasrallah. Hashem Safieddine, a cousin of Nasrallah who oversees the group’s political affairs, was generally regarded as the leader’s heir apparent. But with no public announcement made and Safieddine’s absence, Kassem has taken on the role of acting leader.
Kassem, who has been sanctioned by the United States, was born in the town of Kfar Fila in southern Lebanon. He initially studied chemistry at the Lebanese University and later worked as a chemistry teacher while pursuing religious studies. In the 1970s, he joined the Movement of the Dispossessed, which evolved into the Amal movement, before eventually joining Hezbollah in the 1980s.
From 1991, Kassem served as the deputy secretary-general of Hezbollah, initially under Abbas Mousawi, who was killed by an Israeli attack in 1992. Despite being perceived as more hardline than Nasrallah in public statements, Kassem has a long history within the group and has shown resilience and leadership during this challenging period. It remains to be seen how his role will evolve in the future as Hezbollah navigates through turbulent times.