Who is Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem? Israel calls him ‘target for elimination’ after Ayatollah Khamenei's killing

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that Naim Qassem, the leader of Hezbollah, has become a “target for elimination” after the Iran-aligned group fired on Israel in response to the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Reuters.

Israel carried out airstrikes on Beirut and urged residents in dozens of villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate after the militant group Hezbollah launched rockets and drones at the Jewish state, opening another front in an expanding regional conflict.

Lebanese officials said more than 30 people were killed in Monday’s Israeli strikes. The Western-backed government in Beirut denounced the attacks and cautioned citizens against being pulled into further fighting, a message widely seen as urging Hezbollah to avoid escalating the situation.

Israel and the United States began bombing Iran on Saturday, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In response, Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran, launched attacks on Israel. Israel’s military expects the clashes to continue for at least many more days, Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said in a video statement.

The Israel Defense Forces said senior Hezbollah officials were among those targeted in overnight strikes. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem is now being pursued for assassination.

He earned a master’s degree in chemistry from the Lebanese University in 1977 and initially worked as a chemistry teacher. He later joined Amal Movement, founded by Musa al-Sadr, and pursued theological studies under Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah.

After the Iranian Revolution, Qassem played a role in establishing Hezbollah. In 1991, he was named deputy secretary-general under Abbas al-Musawi and continued in that position under his successor, Hassan Nasrallah. Over the years, he directed the party’s election campaigns and became one of its key ideological and intellectual figures.

He was chosen as Hezbollah’s secretary-general on 29 October 2024 after Israel assassinated the group’s former leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in the 2024 strike on Hezbollah’s headquarters, as well as his presumed successor, Hashem Safieddine, on 3 October.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials said over 200 people have died since the strikes began, including Ali Khamenei and other top leaders.

In response, Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel, as well as at US military bases around the Gulf. It also targeted the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and the global commercial hub of Dubai. Earlier on Sunday, Iran appointed a 66-year-old cleric to the three-member leadership council that will run the country until a new supreme leader is chosen.

(With inputs from agencies)