Thousands Gather in Lebanon To Honor Slain Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah
Tens of thousands gathered in Beirut early Sunday to attend the funeral of Hezbollah’s former leader, Hassan Nasrallah, nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital.
Nasrallah, who led the Iran-backed group for more than 30 years and helped forge its influential role in the region, was struck when Israel’s air force dropped over 80 bombs on Hezbollah’s main operations room. His death dealt a significant blow to the group, which has long enjoyed widespread support among Iran-aligned factions across Iraq, Yemen, and the Palestinian territories.
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The funeral, held at Beirut’s main sports stadium, is believed to be the largest in Lebanon in two decades. Officials from across the region were in attendance, including Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as well as high-ranking Lebanese figures. Senior Hezbollah official Ali Daamoush announced that around 800 personalities from 65 countries would be joining thousands of activists and supporters from around the world.
Nasrallah is scheduled to be laid to rest later Sunday in Beirut, while his cousin and designated successor, Hashem Safieddine—killed in an Israeli airstrike a few days later—will have a separate funeral in his southern Lebanese hometown. Both leaders had initially been buried in secret locations until Hezbollah publicly announced plans for their official interments.
