‘Temporary appointment,’ Israel says on election of new Hezbollah chief

By Abdelraouf Arnaout
JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hinted Tuesday at Israel's intention to assassinate new Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem.
Qassem was elected by the group’s Shura Council to succeed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last month, according to a Hezbollah statement on Tuesday.
In the first Israeli reaction to his election, Gallant posted a photo of Qassem on X with the words, “Temporary appointment. Not for long.”
In Hebrew, he added: “The countdown has begun.”
Israel has killed Hezbollah’s top leadership in a massive air campaign across Lebanon that started last month in an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and the group since the start of Israel’s brutal offensive on Gaza.
Over 2,700 people have been killed and nearly 12,500 injured in Israeli attacks since October last year, according to Lebanese health authorities.
Israel expanded the conflict on Oct. 1 this year by launching an incursion into southern Lebanon.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala