Tens of 1000’s of individuals packed right into a stadium in Beirut to attend the funeral of Hezbollah’s former chief, almost 5 months after he was killed in an Israeli air assault on a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital.
Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s chief for greater than 30 years and one among its founders, was killed in September final yr when Israel’s air drive dropped greater than 80 bombs on the group’s predominant operations room.
Mourners wearing black, some waving Hezbollah flags or carrying portraits of Nasrallah, flocked to the mass funeral, delayed due to safety issues. Many males, ladies and kids from Lebanon and past walked on foot within the biting chilly to achieve the location of the ceremony.
Big portraits of Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine – Nasrallah’s chosen successor killed in one other Israeli air raid earlier than he might assume the submit – have been plastered on partitions and bridges throughout south Beirut. The 2 had briefly been buried in secret areas.
Senior Hezbollah official Ali Daamoush advised reporters about 800 personalities from 65 international locations would attend the funeral, along with 1000’s of people and activists from around the globe.
Nasrallah might be laid to relaxation afterward Sunday in Beirut, whereas Safieddine might be laid to relaxation in his hometown in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah positioned large screens alongside the airport highway and outdoors the stadium for individuals who wouldn’t get an area inside to look at the funeral. Tight safety measures embrace the closure of predominant roads within the space of the funeral and the halting of flights to and from Beirut airport for 4 hours. The Lebanese military and police are on alert, and the usage of drones in Beirut and its suburbs in the course of the day has been banned.
Hours earlier than the funeral’s begin, the Israeli army launched a collection of assaults in southern Lebanon.