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Hezbollah holds massive funeral for Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine

2 months ago
Nasrallah funeral

Nasrallah funeral

Hezbollah is holding a massive funeral procession today for its martyred leader, former Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and Executive Council chief Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, in Beirut. Tens of thousands of mourners have gathered, with delegations from 79 countries in attendance, including high-ranking figures from Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and other countries.

According to Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar, since dawn, crowds have poured into the Lebanese capital, with many arriving overnight to secure a place. By 6:00 AM, Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium was packed. The funeral begins at 1:00 PM local time (11:00 GMT), starting with a Quran recitation, followed by the national and Hezbollah anthems.

Nasrallah’s sucessor, Sheikh Naim Qassem, will deliver a speech before the procession moves to Nasrallah’s final resting place near Airport Road. Safieddine will be buried on Monday in his southern hometown of Deir Qanoun Al-Nahr.

READ: Israel army strikes Syria-Lebanon border

Large portraits of both leaders hang along the funeral route, with additional seating prepared for the unprecedented turnout. Security measures have been intensified by Hezbollah and Lebanese authorities.

The funeral follows Israel’s assassinations of Nasrallah and Safieddine amid the wider war centred on Gaza. Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli bombardment on 27 September, which levelled residential buildings in Beirut’s Dahiyeh with 85 tons of explosives. Safieddine was killed in an Israeli strike on 3 October. Hezbollah postponed the funeral due to security concerns, prior the ceasefire agreement with the occupation state.

Dignitaries from Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and beyond have arrived. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are attending. “I will participate in the funeral of two heroes of the Islamic resistance,” Araghchi stated.

In Yemen, thousands gathered at Al-Sha’ab Mosque and Al-Sabeen Square in Sanaa to perform funeral prayers in absentia for the two leaders. The ceremony, attended by political, religious, and military figures, included Quran recitations, a tribute video highlighting Nasrallah’s support for Yemen, and speeches honouring his legacy. Officials in the Houthi-led government reaffirmed Sanaa’s solidarity with the resistance axis, vowing that Nasrallah’s stance against oppression will be remembered across the Islamic world.

READ: Lebanon’s Hezbollah to bury Nasrallah in mass funeral

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