Hassan Nasrallah received a temporary burial as hostilities with Israel did not allow for a funeral to take place.
The funeral of long-time Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is scheduled to take place on February 23, as announced by the group. Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli air attack in Lebanon’s capital several months ago.
Having served as Hezbollah’s secretary general for over 30 years, Nasrallah was killed on September 27 amidst Israel’s increased air strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
In a televised address on Sunday, Nasrallah’s successor Naim Qassem mentioned that due to difficult circumstances at the time of Nasrallah’s death, a temporary burial was conducted according to religious customs. Qassem also stated that a grand funeral procession would now be held, with a large public presence, for both Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, another top Hezbollah official killed in an Israeli strike shortly after Nasrallah’s death.
Qassem further revealed that Safieddine had been elected as Nasrallah’s successor, but his death occurred before the official announcement. He confirmed that Safieddine would also be buried with the title of secretary general.
Nasrallah will be laid to rest on the outskirts of Beirut, while Safieddine will be buried in his hometown of Deir Qanoun in southern Lebanon.
Following the loss of key military commanders within the group, Hezbollah elected Qassem as its new leader on October 29.
A ceasefire reached in late November brought an end to hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, with an agreed 60-day deadline for various actions to be taken. However, the deadline was extended until February 18 due to delays in meeting the conditions.
Accusations have been made by both sides regarding violations of the ceasefire terms, with ongoing tensions persisting.
Hezbollah faced significant challenges when it engaged in fighting against Israel in support of Hamas in Gaza in October 2023, resulting in losses and targeted attacks on key Hezbollah figures.
