Tens of thousands of people gathered at a stadium in Lebanon’s capital Beirut to mourn Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in a public funeral nearly five months after he was killed by an Israeli air strike.
Determined to project strength despite the devastating blows and losses it has faced since Nasrallah’s death — including leadership uncertainty and mounting Israeli military pressure — a weakened Hezbollah staged the funeral as a display of unity and resilience.
Nasrallah was killed on September 27 when Israeli forces bombed a building in southern Beirut where he was meeting with Hezbollah commanders. It was a stunning assassination that shocked supporters in Lebanon and across the region, as Israel celebrated killing a man who had orchestrated attacks on the country and posed a threat to its security.
Hezbollah began exchanging fire with Israel in support of Palestinians on Oct. 8, 2023, the day after Israel declared war on Hamas following the Oct. 7 attacks. The 14-month conflict lead to an Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon, and prolonged bombing of Beirut that targeted Hezbollah leadership and led to Nasrallah’s death.
The 48,000-seat Camille Chamoun sports city stadium in Hezbollah’s stronghold of southern Beirut was awash with yellow and green of Hezbollah flags as mourners paid tribute to the divisive leader who led the militant group for more than three decades.
Hundreds of cars were seen driving towards the stadium at dawn, and supporters held parallel tributes were in the Iranian capital of Tehran, Yemen, and in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
According to Reuters, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was was expected to attend, alongside an Iraqi delegation including Shi’ite politicians and militia commanders, and a delegation from Yemen’s Houthis were expected to attend.
After Sunday’s funeral, his body will be buried at a site nearby.
The funeral will also honor Hashem Safieddine, who lead Hezbollah for just a week after Nasrallah’s death before he was also killed by Israel. He is to be buried in the south of the country on Monday.
After Nasrallah’s death, his body was buried temporarily next to his son, Hadi, who died fighting for Hezbollah in 1997. Nasrallah’s official funeral was delayed until Israeli forces had withdrawn from south Lebanon under the terms of a ceasefire deal that ended the war.
As his funeral took place, the Israel Defense Forces launched airstrikes in southern Lebanon on “a military site containing rocket launchers and weapons,” in which it said it had identified Hezbollah activity.
According to Lebanese National News Agency, the strikes injured at least one girl, who was transported to the Lebanese-Italian hospital for treatment.
The attack during his funeral highlighted Israel’s ongoing military pressure on the group that defined the final year of Nasrallah’s life. Revered by Hezbollah supporters, the Islamic scholar transformed the group from a militant resistance faction to an influential political and military force in the region.
While thousands paid tribute to the former leader, he left behind a legacy marked by deep admiration and intense controversy.
Born into a poor Shiite family in Beirut in 1960, Nasrallah’s rise to prominence was shaped by Lebanon’s turbulent history and his deep ideological commitments.
In 1982, following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, Nasrallah helped found Hezbollah, a group focused on resisting Israeli occupation, and known for its precision attacks.
Designated a terrorist organization by many countries, including the United States, Canada, and the European Union, Hezbollah attacks included the 1983 Beirut embassy bombing which killed 63 people, including 17 Americans, and the Marine barracks bombing that same year in the capital, which killed 307 people, including 241 American military personnel.
Nasrallah’s became its leader in 1992, marking a transformative era for Hezbollah, in which it expanding its military capabilities and political influence in Lebanon. Under his guidance, Hezbollah fought the 2006 war with Israel, as rockets rained down on northern Israel while Israeli airstrikes ravaged southern Lebanon for 34 days.
His influence soared during the conflict, where he was widely regarded as a symbol of defiance across the Arab world. Hezbollah’s extensive media apparatus amplified his charisma, making him an influential figure beyond Lebanon’s borders.
He also forged deep alliances with Iran and Syria, with Iran providing critical financial, military, and political support that helped Hezbollah become a major regional force.
However, his decision to send fighters to Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad in the country’s civil war marked a turning point. Once seen as the leader of resistance, he became increasingly viewed as an agent of Iran’s regional ambitions.
Accusations of Hezbollah’s involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri further eroded his standing in parts of the Arab world.
As Israel launched its ground invasion in southern Lebanon and bombarded its capital from the skies, Nasrallah’s death delivered a major blow early in Israel’s offensive, significantly weakening the Iran-backed group, while raising questions about its future.
To his supporters, he remained a steadfast defender of Shia Muslims and Lebanon’s sovereignty. To his critics, he was a divisive figure, aligning Hezbollah’s trajectory with Tehran at the expense of national unity.
His contested legacy is emblematic of the shifting political and sectarian currents of the Middle East, but his funeral underscored the enduring devotion of his followers.
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