Who will succeed Hassan Nasrallah as Hezbollah’s next leader?

Nasrallah was Hezbollah’s leader since 1992. His killing leaves a major void in the group’s leadership.

Beirut, Lebanon – The killing of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah leaves a vacuum inside a movement that has already had much of its leadership decapitated as a result of months of Israeli assassinations.

But Nasrallah’s death on Friday evening, during a massive Israeli attack on southern Beirut, marks the passing of not just a figurehead, but the man who embodied the Lebanese Shia movement in the eyes of its supporters and the wider region.

Nasrallah became secretary-general of Hezbollah in 1992 while he was in his 30s, and he led the movement for the majority of its existence. Finding a replacement of a similar stature will be difficult for Hezbollah, as it looks ahead to continued Israeli attacks and even a possible ground invasion of southern Lebanon.

There are, however, two leading figures thought to be in contention to be Nasrallah’s successor: Hashem Safieddine and Naim Qassem. Here’s what you need to know about them.