BEIRUT - Massive crowds from various regions of Lebanon and around the world attended the historic funeral procession in Beirut for Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Hezbollah's Executive Council chief Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, who were assassinated in Israeli massive bombardments of Lebanon in late 2024.

Despite the chilly weather since the early morning hours, large numbers of people made their way to Beirut, causing significant traffic congestion on major roads leading to the capital, particularly the Sidon-Beirut and Bekaa-Beirut roads.

The crowds, comprising women, children, and the elderly, were carrying pictures of the martyrs and holding banners bearing memorable quotes from Nasrallah.

Units from the army and internal security forces were deployed to guide the surging crowds and maintain order.

Multiple screens were installed at Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in the Bir Hassan area of Beirut to enable mourners to closely watch the event.

All logistical and technical preparations for the funeral ceremony had been completed in advance.

The funeral began at 1:00 PM local time, starting with a Quran recitation, followed by the national anthem and Hezbollah’s anthem, Press TV reported.

The coffins were transported in a special vehicle. The ceremony will conclude with a speech from the current Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem before the procession makes its way to the burial sites.

The funeral marked an exceptional event in terms of participation, as about 70 countries had confirmed their official presence through diplomatic delegations, current and former parliamentarians, ministers, and distinguished political figures.

Additionally, thousands of individuals affiliated with various political and religious parties and resistance groups visited Beirut to attend the ceremony, paying their respects to the martyred leaders.

Moreover, thousands of citizens from various Arab and Muslim countries, such as Iraq, Yemen, Iran, Bahrain, Kuwait and Turkey, participated in the funeral, which marks a turning point in the history of Lebanon and the West Asia region.

In the same context, airlines recorded a significant increase in the number of flights heading to Beirut.  Iraqi Airways and Middle East Airlines increased their flights between Baghdad and Beirut this week, ahead of the funeral, as demand for tickets surged.

The Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces adopted strict security measures before and during the funeral, deploying 4,000 troops.

Moreover, over 25 thousand discipline squad members organized the movement of the mourning crowd, and 4 thousand organizers coordinated the event.

Four field hospitals were set up close to the Sports City Stadium, the funeral road, the burial site, and the old Beirut airport road. In addition, more than 70 ambulances and medical teams were deployed along the ceremony route.

Nasrallah was assassinated in Israel’s bombardment of southern Beirut on September 27, 2024. Using 85 tons of explosives, Israeli jets leveled six residential buildings in Dahiyeh, following a week-long bombing campaign that hit many areas from southern Lebanon to Beirut.

Safieddine was assassinated in an Israeli attack on October 3, 2024.

Hezbollah postponed funeral ceremonies for both leaders as Lebanon was under relentless Israeli attacks.

Ayatollah Khamenei’s message to be read out at the funeral procession

A four-person team representing the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei attended the funeral ceremony.

A written message by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution was planned to be read out by Hojjtoleslam Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini, the representative of the Leader in Iraq who is part of the four-member delegation.

Iran FM: Funeral shows Resistance and Hezbollah are alive

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi who visited Lebanon to participate in the funeral procession said, “Today’s funeral procession will show that the Resistance and Hezbollah are alive and they are loyal to their cause and continue the path.”

He added, “As the Resistance has achieved many victories so far, God willing the final victory will also be achieved.”

Araghchi also said large numbers of Iranians were eager to participate in the funeral of these “two heroes”.

The foreign minister also said he had participated in the ceremony on behalf of Iran and its people.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also visited Beirut to attend the procession.

Lebanon’s security is owed to Hezbollah

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also visited Beirut to attend the funeral procession.

 Talking upon his arrival, the top legislator thanked the people of Lebanon and Gaza and said, “Today, we are witnessing stability, security ....in Lebanon, and these achievements are owed to the resistance and resilience of Hezbollah and the people of the country.”

'Dearest to our souls'

Tens of thousands of mourners dressed in black, some waving Hezbollah flags or carrying portraits of Nasrallah, flocked to his funeral in the stadium.

Nasrallah, a charismatic leader, guided the Lebanese Hezbollah movement for more than three decades. Hezbollah enjoys a support base in the country's majority Shiite Muslim community.

According to AFP, many men, women and children from Lebanon and beyond walked on foot in the biting cold to reach the site of the ceremony.  

One of them was Umm Mahdi, 55, who had come "to see him (Nasrallah) one last time and see his shrine... Of course, we feel sadness".

"This is the least we can do for Sayyed who gave up everything," she added, using an honorific, AFP said.

Khouloud Hamieh, 36, said she came from the east to mourn the leader she said was "dearest to our souls".

"The feeling is indescribable, my heart is beating (so fast)," she said, her eyes filled with tears.

Despite cold weather and large crowds, she said she would not have missed the funeral for anything.

"Even if we had to crawl to get here, we would still come," she said.

Women were weeping as the coffins of Nasrallah and Safieddine were being carried upon a lorry. 

As the crowds gathered, Lebanese state media reported Israeli strikes on areas in Lebanon's south, including a location about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the border.

Israel has carried out multiple strikes in Lebanon since a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah went into effect on November 27.

Since Saturday, roads into Beirut had been clogged with carloads of Hezbollah supporters traveling in from the movement's other power centers in south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, in Lebanon's east.

A procession will then follow to the site near the airport highway where Nasrallah will be buried. Safieddine will be interred in his southern hometown of Deir Qanun al-Nahr on Monday.

Hezbollah had asked mourners to refrain from firing in the air, a dangerous but common practice at funerals in parts of Lebanon.

A founding member of Hezbollah in 1982, Nasrallah won renown around the Arab world in May 2000 when Israel was forced to end its 22-year occupation of south Lebanon under relentless attack by the group under his leadership.

In a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza that followed the October 7 attack by Hamas on southern Israel, Hezbollah started firing rockets on northern Israel to force Israel to stop its barbaric attacks on the civilians on the coastal strip. Hezbollah’s attacks were not deadly.

However, Israel launched an intensive bombardment of Beirut and villages and cities in southern Lebanon, killing more than 4,000 people, including the Hezbollah leader himself and his deputy Safieddine.

Nasrallah was charismatic and figurehead

Albert Kostanian, a political expert and journalist, told France 24 that the Hezbollah resistance movement, though losing two leaders - Nasrallah and  Safieddine – and some top military commanders, it is still a key player in the Middle East.

Kostanian said the funeral is hugely symbolic in Hezbollah’s eyes and for their supporters, because Nasrallah was their political and religious leader.

“He was an unparalleled charismatic figurehead,” Kostanian said.

According to the analyst, Nasrallah was also a “symbol of strength”.

“For them (Hezbollah supporters), he was a symbol of strength and religion. He was almost thought of as a saint, as Shiite tradition accords an important role to mystical symbols,” Kostanian commented.

The political analyst also says Nasrallah’s influence reached beyond Lebanese borders.

“A significant number of Lebanese Shiites believe that he will go down in history as their liberator and as one of the region’s greatest political and religious leaders. Whether or not you are a fan of Nasrallah, you can’t deny that he made an impact in his time and had influence beyond Lebanese borders,” he pointed out. 

Kostanian also notes that Nasrallah was also one of the faces of the Axis of Resistance, which stretches from Lebanon to Yemen via Iraq and Syria – up until the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December.