Thousands of supporters of Hezbollah’s slain leader fly into Beirut for funeral
Hassan Nasrallah was killed on September 27 when Israel’s air force dropped more than 80 bombs on Hezbollah’s main operations room in southern Beirut.
Nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike, thousands of supporters of the long-time leader of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group have flown into Beirut for Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral on Sunday.
Nasrallah was killed on September 27 when Israel’s air force dropped more than 80 bombs on Hezbollah’s main operations room in southern Beirut.
It was the biggest and most consequential of Israel’s targeted killings in years.
Hezbollah, which the US and some of its allies has designated a terrorist organisation, has suffered significant losses in the latest war with Israel, including the killing of several of its most senior military and political figures.
His cousin and successor Hashem Safieddine, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb a few days later, will be laid to rest in his hometown in southern Lebanon.
The two had temporarily been buried in secret locations.
Hezbollah earlier this month announced plans for their official funerals.
Crowds are expected to gather on Sunday at Beirut’s main sports stadium for a funeral ceremony before Nasrallah’s interment.
According to an Iraqi transportation ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the flights, up to 6,000 people have flown to Beirut over the past few days.
Nasrallah, idolised by his supporters and with large followings among the Shiites and the Islamic world, also held the title of sayyid, an honorific meant to signify the Shiite cleric’s lineage dating back to the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam.
However, Lebanese authorities have revoked permission for a passenger plane from Iran, leaving dozens who had wanted to attend the funeral stranded in Tehran and triggering protests by Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon.
The ban came after the Israeli army accused Iran of smuggling cash to Hezbollah by way of civilian flights, leading some in Lebanon to allege that their government had caved in the face of a threat from Israel.
Some of those who were expected to fly in from Iran were now coming to Lebanon via Iraq.
Kazim al-Fartousi, spokesman for the Iran-backed Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada group in Iraq, arrived on Friday.
He said Nasrallah was “the father, commander and the book that we read every day to learn about freedom”.
US Republican representative Joe Wilson criticised Lebanese politicians who were planning to attend the funeral.
“Any Lebanese politician who attends the funeral of the murderous terrorist Hasan Nasrallah is standing with the Iranian Regime,” Mr Wilson said on X.
