Nasrallah (L) and Safieddine were killed in massive Israeli airstrikes during the war with Israel last year [Ibrahim Amro/AFP via Getty]
Tens of thousands of mourners flooded Lebanon’s largest stadium on Sunday to take part in the funerals of Hezbollah’s longtime general-secretary Hassan Nasrallah and his successor Hashem Safieddine, both of whom were assassinated by Israel.
The ceremony is expected to be one of the largest ever events in the country’s recent history, with people attending from across Lebanon and flying into Beirut from at least 65 countries, particularly where Hezbollah enjoys significant popular support.
Thousands are expected to have arrived especially from Iraq and Iran, two Shia majority countries. But a ban on flights from Iran has forced Iranians to take different routes to arrive in Lebanon, such as via Iraq.
Large crowds filled the Camille Chamoun Sports City stadium and surrounding streets, as shown by drone footage, waving yellow Hezbollah and religious flags.
Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker and head of the Amal Movement, Nabih Berri, is said to be attending the ceremony. Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam will send representatives.
Some Lebanese political parties, particularly Hezbollah’s rivals, have decided not to attend, while others will.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf are also leading an Iranian delegation. Iran has funded and supported Hezbollah since the group was founded in the early 1980s.
Hezbollah’s current head, Naim Qassem, will make a speech during the ceremony, which is expected to last one hour.
Nasrallah’s body will then be transported to his final resting place in Burj al-Barajneh in the southern suburbs of Beirut, accompanied by a massive procession along the airport highway. A shrine has been built for Nasrallah which people can then visit.
Safieddine will be buried on Monday in his south Lebanon village of Deir Qanoun al-Nahr.
Both were killed in massive Israeli airstrikes in two different suburbs south of Beirut during the war with Israel last year.
Nasrallah’s 27 September assassination ended more than three decades of his leadership of the Shia militant group, which came out significantly weakened from its war with Israel.
Safieddine, his cousin, took over as secretary-general for only a few days before being targeted; his death was confirmed weeks later.
Weeks of preparations for the funeral saw large renovation works for the Camille Chamoun Sports City stadium, left without maintenance for years due to Lebanon’s crushing financial crisis.
Large screens were set up in and outside the stadium, and big portraits of Nasrallah and Safieddine as well as Hezbollah and Lebanon flags hung from the stadium’s walls.
Many attendees were already waiting outside the stadium from Saturday night.
Tight security measures are in place for the event, with the Lebanese army, security forces, and Hezbollah’s security apparatus on high alert.
Meanwhile, Israel carried out airstrikes in southern and east Lebanon ahead of the funeral.
The Israeli army Sunday claimed it struck a military site containing weapons and ammunition in the south after attacks in the Tyre district, while two airstrikes were reported in the highlands of Hermel in the northernmost part of Beqaa in east Lebanon.
On Saturday night, an airstrike happened in the eastern village of Qousaya along the Syrian border, allegedly targeting Hezbollah weapons.
It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.
Despite the 27 November ceasefire deal, Israel has continued to carry out airstrikes in southern Lebanon and along the border with Syria, saying it will not allow Hezbollah to regroup or rearm.
Israeli forces withdrew from most of south Lebanon on 18 February after an extended deadline but have maintained some troops in five strategic points along the border.
Tel Aviv has accused Lebanon of not implementing the ceasefire deal, saying it hasn’t deployed the Lebanese army across the south or fully disarmed Hezbollah.
Hezbollah’s supply routes through Syria have been cut off, and a Lebanese ban against Iranian flights have made it harder for the group to receive desperately needed finances.
