A massive gathering of hundreds of thousands of people filled a stadium in Beirut and the surrounding streets on Sunday to pay their final respects to Hezbollah’s former leader, Hassan Nasrallah, nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Nasrallah lost his life when Israeli fighter jets targeted Hezbollah’s main command center in a southern suburb of Beirut, unleashing over 80 bombs. His death marked a severe setback for the Iran-backed organization, which he had shaped into a formidable political and military force in the region.
As one of Hezbollah’s founding members, Nasrallah led the group for over three decades, gaining significant influence within the Iran-aligned “axis of resistance,” which also includes factions from Iraq, Yemen, and Palestine.
His reputation soared across the Arab world after Hezbollah engaged Israel in a fierce monthlong conflict in 2006, resulting in a military stalemate. However, the group’s standing took a hit after it intervened in Syria’s civil war to support former President Bashar Assad.
To demonstrate its resilience despite suffering heavy losses in a 14-month-long conflict with Israel that claimed the lives of numerous high-ranking officials, Hezbollah urged its supporters to attend the funeral in overwhelming numbers.
A Lebanese official, speaking anonymously due to restrictions on media statements, estimated that around 450,000 people were present.
“This enormous turnout reaffirms that Hezbollah remains the most influential party in Lebanon. Claims that it has weakened or lost power are baseless,” said Ali Fayyad, a lawmaker from Hezbollah’s political faction who attended the funeral.
Among the mourners was Sahar al-Attar, who traveled from Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. “Even if there was gunfire, we would have still come,” she said, expressing her deep commitment to attending Nasrallah’s burial.
Nasrallah’s funeral coincided with that of his cousin and successor, Hashem Safieddine, who was killed in another Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb days later. While Nasrallah was set to be laid to rest in Beirut on Sunday, Safieddine’s burial would take place in his hometown in southern Lebanon. Both had previously been temporarily buried in undisclosed locations.
As the funeral procession moved through the streets, men riding alongside the coffins scattered flowers, while some in the crowd reached out with pieces of clothing, hoping they would touch the caskets and receive blessings.
Large screens were placed along the airport road outside the stadium, displaying the funeral’s theme: “We are committed to the covenant.” Senior Hezbollah official Ali Daamoush told reporters on Saturday that around 800 dignitaries from 65 nations, along with thousands of supporters and activists from around the world, were expected to attend the funeral.
