Lebanon is ramping up security and logistical preparations ahead of the funeral procession for former Hezbollah Secretary-Generals Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, set to take place on Sunday, in Beirut, including gun restrictions during the period.
A high-level security meeting was held on Friday at the Baabda Presidential Palace, chaired by President Joseph Aoun, to prevent escalations or security incidents during the funeral, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of supporters and delegates from across the region.
As part of heightened security measures, Lebanese Defence Minister Michel Menassa has issued a decision freezing the validity of weapons licences across Lebanon from 22 to 25 February, according to the National News Agency (NNA).
Exceptions were granted for employees of foreign embassies and bodyguards of current and former ministers, MPs, party leaders, and religious figures
Coordination between Lebanon’s security agencies has been extensive given the anticipated massive turnout.
“Security remains a top priority, and we urge all participants to refrain from gunfire or any actions that could disrupt public order,” a source at Baabda Palace told The New Arab.
Among the measures announced are a heavy deployment of army and security forces in and around the funeral site and special traffic regulations in Beirut and surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, sources have confirmed that President Aoun will not attend the funeral but will send a representative.
Uncertainty remains over whether Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri will be present, with discussions ongoing about sending a joint representative for Lebanon’s three key figures – Aoun, Berri, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
Political and diplomatic participation
Several Lebanese political parties have confirmed they will attend, including the Progressive Socialist Party, formerly led by Walid Jumblatt, which also called for “national solidarity” on the day.
Other political parties attending include the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, the Amal Movement, headed by Speaker Berri, and the Lebanese Democratic Party, headed by Talal Arslan.
The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) is also expected to attend, though it remains unclear whether its leader, MP Gebran Bassil, or former President Michel Aoun will be present.
Aoun’s participation reportedly depends on his health condition, given his longstanding ties with Nasrallah dating back to their 2006 alliance, which eventually collapsed in 2021.
On the other hand, Saad Hariri’s Future Movement has refused to attend, while other political and religious figures were reportedly still deliberating over whether to send representatives.
Notably absent will be key Hezbollah opponents, including Samir Geagea’s Lebanese Forces (LF) – a far-right Christian party which once had Israeli backing during the Lebanese civil war.
Foreign delegations and overwhelming demand for flights
Hezbollah has not yet announced which international delegations will attend, however, organisers have said that representatives from 79 countries were expected, spanning both governmental and grassroots levels.
Large delegations are reportedly travelling from Iran and Iraq, with a surge in flight bookings from Baghdad to Beirut in recent days.
An Iranian delegation has already visited Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut to oversee final logistical preparations for the funeral, according to the Iranian embassy in Beirut.
The event will begin at 1pm local time (9am GMT) and will last approximately an hour, followed by a speech by Hezbollah Secretary-General Naeem Qassem, the funeral prayer, and the procession to the burial sites.
On Friday, Hussein Fadlallah, head of the funeral’s organising committee, announced that both the presidency and parliament will be represented at the ceremony, calling 23 February to be “a day the free people of the world will never forget”.
Fadlallah denied rumours that mourners will need to purchase a ticket prior to entering the stadium, and that all arrangements – including crowd control, logistics, and security measures – were in place to accommodate the large media, political, and diplomatic presence.
“We have designated 50 parking zones for attendees, with large screens set up across the city for those unable to enter the stadium,” Fadlallah said. “We are fully prepared to welcome the massive crowds expected.”
The Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Lebanon’s largest stadium, can seat 55,799 spectators, with additional space for 15,000 to 20,000 attendees on the field.
The venue covers 50,000 square metres, with an underground parking lot of 600 square meters and an additional 20,000 square meters for external parking.
A temporary burial site has been prepared near Rafic Hariri International Airport for Nasrallah, as his body had previously been kept in a secret location since his death on 27 September.
Meanwhile, Safieddine, who was assassinated on 3 October, will be buried in his hometown of Deir Qanoun Al-Nahr in southern Lebanon.
