WEB DESK: Lebanon’s Hezbollah will bury its former leader Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike, in a mass funeral aimed at showing political strength after the group emerged badly weakened from last year’s war.
Nasrallah was killed on September 27 in an Israeli airstrike as he met commanders in a bunker in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stunning blow in the early phase of an Israeli offensive that has left the Iran-backed group a shadow of its former self.
Revered by Hezbollah supporters, Nasrallah led the Shi’ite Muslim group through decades of conflict with Israel, overseeing its transformation into a military force with regional sway and becoming one of the most prominent Arab figures in generations.
The funeral in Beirut’s southern suburbs will also honor Hashem Safieddine, who led Hezbollah for one week after Nasrallah’s death before he was also killed by Israel, underlining how deeply Israeli intelligence had penetrated the paramilitary group. He will be buried in the south on Monday.
According to news agencies, the funeral gathering will take place at 4:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time at a sports stadium in the outskirts of Beirut. Hezbollah leader Naeem Qassem will address the gathering.
All tickets for flights from Baghdad to Beirut have already been sold out ahead of Hassan Nasrallah’s burial. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will also attend the funeral.
Lebanese Civil Aviation has announced that Beirut Airport will be closed from 12 PM to 4 PM on February 23, during the burial.
It is worth noting that after Hassan Nasrallah was martyred in the Israeli attack on September 27, he was temporarily buried.
