



Hundreds of people, many in tears, gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs late Saturday at the site where former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike two months ago.
Candles and the group’s yellow flags were planted in and around the huge crater left by the attack during a ceremony organized by the Lebanese terrorist group, whose latest war with Israel came to a tentative end when a fragile ceasefire went into effect on Wednesday.
Hezbollah started the war with Israel on October 8 last year, launching unprovoked near-daily rocket and drone attacks at northern Israel and forcing some 60,000 residents to evacuate. The terror group said it was doing so in solidarity with Hamas amid its war with Israel in Gaza. Both groups are supported by Iran and have long sought the destruction of Israel.
Loudspeakers played speeches by Nasrallah and red lights gave a crimson cast to the scene as giant portraits of the slain leader looked down from the damaged buildings surrounding the site.
“Sayyed Hassan was everything to us. If only we had died and he was still alive,” said Lama, a 30-year-old woman who brought her two young children to the event.
“He left a big void,” she added.
Nearby, a group of young people waving the Hezbollah flag chanted: “At your command, Nasrallah.”
“I still can’t believe he’s dead,” said Lea, an 18-year-old student who had come with her friends.
Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of the terrorist organization, were heavily targeted by Israeli airstrikes beginning in late September, that killed the vast majority of Hezbollah’s leadership, including Nasrallah. Israel then launched a ground operation in southern Lebanon that targeted the terrorist organization’s capabilities in the area. The IDF simultaneously continued to carry out airstrikes on Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon.
The September 27 airstrike that killed Nasrallah in an underground bunker also killed another commander, as well as a senior member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Nasrallah was buried in a secret location, for fear his funeral would be targeted by Israel.
After the ceasefire, Hezbollah announced plans for a public funeral but has not specified a date.
Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel since October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 45 civilians.
In addition, 76 IDF soldiers and reservists died in cross-border skirmishes, attacks on Israel, and in the ground operation. Two soldiers were killed in a drone attack from Iraq, and there were also several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.
The IDF estimates that some 3,500 Hezbollah operatives were killed in the conflict. Around 100 members of other terror groups, along with hundreds of civilians, have also been reported killed in Lebanon.