The funeral ceremony is taking place at Lebanon’s largest stadium, and the two slain leaders will then be taken to their final resting places [Ibrahim Amro/AFP via Getty]
Hezbollah has called for widespread participation in the funeral ceremony of its assassinated secretary general Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday, in what is expected to be one of the biggest ceremonies in Lebanon’s recent history.
The ceremony will take place at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in the Lebanese capital and is expected to draw tens of thousands of mourners and Hezbollah supporters from across Lebanon and abroad, including Iran, Iraq, and Yemen.
Hassan Nasrallah, who led the Iran-backed Shia militant group for over three decades, was assassinated in a massive Israeli airstrike on 27 September, and his cousin, Hashem Safieddine, was then chosen to lead the group before being targeted days later in another Israeli airstrike. Safieddine’s death was confirmed weeks later.
Nasrallah will be buried on Sunday in his final resting place in Burj al-Barajneh, a southern suburb of Beirut. Safieddine will be buried in his south Lebanon village of Deir Qanoun al-Nahr on Monday.
The deputy chairman of Hezbollah’s executive council, Ali Damoush, called on Saturday for participation “from all sects, regions, segments of societies, parties and figures,” stressing that no “climatic, political or social conditions should prevent us from participating”.
“We’re not mobilising people on this occasion to show force, the resistance [Hezbollah] does not need a referendum” on its popularity, he said.
He denied rumours that there was an entry fee to attend the funeral ceremony at the stadium, Lebanon’s largest.
Damoush said Hezbollah has called on attendees to not obstruct entries and exits or gather in large numbers in front of the vehicle carrying the coffins, as they are moved from the stadium to their burial sites.
Attendees are asked to “fully abide by the directives of officers, preserve the sanctity of this occasion, and avoid disturbing others”.
Damoush also responded to rumours about possible security threats, saying that these were meant to scare people away from attending the funeral. “This does not scare us, and we will not prevent us from [showing our] loyalty to our martyrs”.
“Everyone should be reassured that the army and security services have taken measures throughout the area where the ceremony will be held, and there are thousands of personnel from Hezbollah and the Amal Movement who will help with organising,” he said, referring to the party led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah.
Despite the 27 November ceasefire deal which ended the war between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli fighter jets and drones continue to fly into Lebanese airspace and have conducted dozens of airstrikes in southern Lebanon and along the border with Syria.
Israel claims it is targeting Hezbollah personnel and infrastructure, stopping the group from rearming and cutting off remaining supply routes.
Damoush also asked on people to refrain from celebratory gunfire, a common practice in parts of Lebanon. Despite arrests, some people still resort to shooting in the air during political events and social occasions, often leading to deaths and injuries.
Damoush spoke during a press tour on Saturday organised by Hezbollah, where reporters and journalists were taken to Nasrallah’s burial site that will be turned into a shrine.
The head of Hezbollah’s liaison and coordination unit Wafiq Safa, who survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Beirut during the war last year, was also present at the press tour but did not give comment.
A Hezbollah source told The New Arab’s sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that about a thousand Lebanese, Arab and international political and diplomatic figures will take part in the ceremony.
The source added that many Lebanese expatriates had come to the country to attend the funeral, as well as supporters of Nasrallah from many Arab and foreign countries.
Videos have gone viral online showing delegations from different countries arriving at the Beirut airport.
Due to a recent decision by Lebanese authorities to ban flights from Iran – after Israeli threats to target the airport over the alleged smuggling of cash for Hezbollah – Iranians have been forced to use other routes such as via Iraq.
Yemeni nationals also told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that many Yemenis attending the funeral are from abroad as leaving Yemen was currently very difficult.
Wael Naouar, a member of the Tunisian Coordination for Action in Support of Palestine, said in a statement Saturday that 29 Tunisian activists arrived in Lebanon on Saturday to attend the funeral, adding that they would be staying in the country for five days.
