(Bloomberg) – Hundreds of thousands of people attended the funerals of Hezbollah longtime head Hassan Nasrallah, and his successor, Hashem Safieddine, on Sunday, even when Israel intensified air attacks in Lebanon, the most intense wave of attacks since attacks since November Failure.
The murder of the two leaders in Beirut in September was a devastating blow to Iran’s most powerful militant group, marking a crucial moment in the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. A few days after his deaths, Israel intensified its military operations in Lebanon with a earthly forest in its northern neighbor.
On September 27, Nasrallah, 64 – that Israel had made it clear that he was the target of murder and for years avoided making public appearances – met with other Hezbollah leaders in a bunker almost 20 meters (65 feet) below the ground. Israeli jets launched about 80 bombs on the spot. The headquarters and several close buildings were destroyed. About 30 people died in total.
Israel made several air strikes in the south and east of Lebanon on Sunday, aiming at Hezbollah military places that housed launchers of rockets and weapons representing a “imminent” threat to their civilians, the Israeli defense forces said.
Lebanese state media reported that Israel attacked Southern Lebanon villages in the morning, while Hezbollah supporters were heading to Beirut to the funeral. Later, fighters flew low on the Lebanese capital when Nasrallah’s body arrived in the mourning area.
Israeli planes circulating in the skies of Beirut over Nasrallah’s funeral “are sending a clear message: who threatens to destroy Israel and attack Israel – that will be their end,” said Israeli Katz Minister of Defense in a statement.
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The current Hezbollah head, Naim Qasem, asked supporters to attend the funeral at the National Football Stadium in Beirut as a demonstration of the group’s strength. Iran, which sponsors Hezbollah, as well as Hamas in Gaza, sent a high -level delegation, including Foreign Minister ABBAS ARAGHCHI to participate.
“Know that resistance exists and is strong,” said Qasem during the funeral, emphasizing that Hezbollah will maintain his “presence and promptness.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, were invited to the funeral, but did not personally attend, with the Prime Minister designating the Minister of Labor as his representative. The election of Aoun, supported by the US and Saudi Arabia, as Lebanon’s leader last month, was an illustration of Hezbollah’s weaker state, ending a two -year power vacuum and driving the country away from Iran.
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The funeral has been postponed so far due to safety concerns. Israel and Hezbollah agreed with a ceasefire in November, and although both sides have been mutually accused of violating the terms, he has lasted so far. Last week, Israel removed his troops from southern Lebanon, except five advanced posts inside the border.
Nasrallah’s mourners, men and women, sat in the crowded stadium, their faces recorded sadly as the leader’s coffin, mounted on a truck covered with the party’s yellow flag, entered the arena. Tears ran down their faces as the vehicle passed near the stands, crowded with black people – some waving Hezbollah flags, while others hugged photographs of the fallen leader near their breasts.
Hezbollah wanted the funeral to be a “demonstration of support and commitment,” said Qasem. Nasrallah will be buried on land on the airport road that connects Beirut to his southern suburbs, while Safieddine will be buried in his hometown in southern Lebanon.
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Under Nasrallah’s 32 -year leadership, Hezbollah – thanks to Iran’s financing and training – has evolved into one of the world’s most powerful militias. Tehran saw the group as a key piece of his defense in any conflict with Israel.
The former boss was Hezbollah’s “most iconic and charismatic leader,” said Fires Maksad, Senior Director of Strategic Range of Middle East Institute in Washington. He was by far “the most dominant Lebanese political figure, exerting a veto on the Lebanese state and its fragile institutions for over two decades,” according to Maksad.
The Shiite organization built an influential social and political network in Lebanon, as well as a large arsenal of missiles and rockets, before Israel’s military campaign eliminates much of it.
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Israel’s total offensive against Hezbollah – which followed almost a year of transfrontic rocket shots between the two sides – killed thousands of Lebanese and moved about one million people. Hezbollah began shooting in Israel in solidarity with Hamas after the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023.
Nasrallah’s murder, along with the “defeat of Hezbollah by Israel and the collapse of Assad’s regime in Syria, left the regional axis of Iran in clutter,” said Maksad.
Iran’s Foreign Minister warned that any assumption of disappearance of Hezbollah would be a “error of calculation of realities.” Araye emphasized that “resistance is alive, Hezbollah is alive and remains committed to its cause,” stating that the group will continue its way despite external pressures.
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Both Hezbollah and Hamas are designated as terrorist organizations by the US and many other countries.
