Thousands to attend funeral for slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah

Nasrallah was assassinated by Israel five months ago and his public funeral delayed for security reasons.

Tens of thousands of people in Lebanon are set to pay their last respects to Hezbollah’s late leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli attack in the southern suburbs of the capital, Beirut, last September.

The public funeral, delayed for security reasons, is scheduled for 1pm (11:00 GMT) on Sunday at Beirut’s Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, which has a capacity of about 50,000 people.

Hezbollah organisers have installed thousands of extra seats on the pitch and many more outside, where mourners will be able to follow the ceremony on a giant screen.

In the run-up to the funeral, giant portraits of Nasrallah and his heir apparent Hashem Safieddine – killed in another Israeli air attack a week later – have been plastered on walls and bridges across south Beirut.

Hezbollah official Ali Daamoush told reporters on Saturday that about 800 personalities from 65 countries will be attending the funeral in addition to thousands of individuals and activists who came from around the world.

“Come from every home, village and city so that we tell the enemy that this resistance will stay and is ready in the field,” Daamoush said, referring to Israel.

Nasrallah, the face of Hezbollah for more than three decades, and Safieddine had temporarily been buried in secret locations over fears their funerals could be targeted by Israeli forces.

Nasrallah will be buried in a piece of land near the airport road in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Safieddine will be laid to rest in his hometown of Deir Qanoun en-Nahr in southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Lebanese state media on Sunday reported Israeli attacks near the border as mourners converged in Beirut for the funeral.

“Hostile aircraft launched two raids targeting the area between Qleileh and Sammaaiyah in the Tyre district,” the official National News Agency said.

The Israeli military targeted rocket launchers in southern Lebanon which it said threatened civilians before the funeral.

“A short while ago, the IDF [Israeli military] conducted a precise intelligence-based strike on a military site containing rocket launchers and weapons in Lebanese territory, in which Hezbollah activity was identified,” a military statement said.

“Additionally, several rocket launchers that posed an imminent threat to Israeli civilians were struck in southern Lebanon.”

A fragile ceasefire has been in place in Lebanon since November 27, ending months of cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah that escalated into a full-scale conflict in September.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 26, but the deadline was extended to February 18 after Israel refused to comply.

The Israeli army withdrew from southern Lebanese towns on Tuesday, but maintains a military presence at five border outposts.