BEIRUT: Iran-backed Hezbollah announced on Tuesday the election of Sheikh Naim Qassem as its new secretary-general. He succeeds Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in Israeli airstrikes targeting his headquarters in Haret Hreik, a suburb of southern Beirut, on Sept. 27.
Confrontations between Hezbollah and Israeli soldiers have escalated along the border between Lebanon and Israel, particularly in the town of Khiam, with numerous casualties resulting from intensive raids across the south and Bekaa.
Following the announcement of Qassem’s election, Israel intensified its reconnaissance aircraft operations in the airspace over Beirut and its southern suburbs at low altitude.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant posted a picture of Qassem on his X account, and wrote: “The countdown to his appointment has begun.”
Israeli Minister of Energy Eli Cohen said: “Anyone who leads Hezbollah is a target for assassination.”
Israel targeted Nasrallah’s potential successor, Hashem Safieddine, in raids on the Al-Mareija area of the southern suburbs of Beirut on Oct. 4.
Qassem has been Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general since 1991, and was born in 1953 in Beirut’s Basta Tahta district.
Qassem affirmed that “Lebanon cannot be separated from Palestine” following the assassination of Nasrallah.
He added: “We do not have any vacant positions within Hezbollah following the Israeli assassinations.”
Qassem also said that “the resistance will never be defeated because they’re the ones that own the land, and because they will fight and die in dignity.”
A political observer said that Qassem’s appointment had “significant connotations, especially in that Hezbollah was able to restore its structure and fill vacant positions following Israel’s painful strikes on its leadership.”
He added: “Qassem’s appointment is due to the fact that he has been present during Hezbollah’s key periods, from its inception until today.”
On behalf of the parliamentary bloc, Hezbollah deputy Ali Fayyad said: “Hezbollah is still fully able to confront Israeli aggression,” adding that “the militant party obliged the Israeli army to withdraw from some of the areas it invaded.”
In the south, fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli soldiers escalated around Khiam, which has been subjected to heavy artillery shelling.
Hezbollah said it had trapped Israeli soldiers during the confrontations, which also included heavy machine gun fire. Many Israeli drones were seen hovering over the area.
Israeli army vehicles, including two tanks and a bulldozer, reached the eastern edge of Khiam.
Israel also reportedly raided Chaqra, Majdal Selem, Yohmor, Chahabiya, Toulin, Baraachit, Archaf, Haddatha, the area between Majdal Zoun and Chihine, Kafra, and Deir Al-Zahrani.
The Israeli army issued new evacuation warnings to the residents of villages located south of the Litani River, instructing them to leave immediately and head north to the Awali River.
The town of Jbaa was targeted with nine raids which destroyed at least 12 residential buildings in less than an hour.
Residents said that “seismic missiles were used, turning neighborhoods and houses into rubble.”
The missiles destroyed the vicinity housing buildings responsible for General Security, Civil Status and the Lebanese Civil Defense, as well as the public square.
The Israeli army on Monday targeted more than 100 streets in Tyre. Entire neighborhoods were destroyed and seven people killed and 17 injured.
The following day an Israeli warplane attacked a location in Tyre where the funerals of paramedics from the Islamic Health Organization were taking place, resulting in further paramedics being wounded.
Some 30 airstrikes on Monday and Tuesday hit civilian homes, leaving 63 dead and dozens injured. The attacks destroyed entire neighborhoods in Jbaa.
Further Israeli airstrikes on Bekaa targeted 14 towns on the eastern and western mountain ranges. Israel resumed its attacks on Tuesday, targeting towns in the central Bekaa.
A missile also targeted the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, resulting in injuries to peacekeeping soldiers from the Austrian contingent.
The Austrian Ministry of Defense said that “eight Austrian soldiers from the UNIFIL forces were injured in a missile attack on Naqoura, with no serious injuries reported.” It added that “the source of the attack is currently unclear.”
Despite coordination with UNIFIL, the Lebanese Red Cross said that the Israeli army had targeted its teams “while they were heading to rescue individuals injured in a morning shelling in one of the towns of the Tyre district, despite prior coordination.”
