Media: Hezbollah to hold "grand funeral procession" for deceased leader Hassan Nasrallah PHOTO

The funeral of longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah will be held on February 23, the group announced, nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs.

Nasrallah, who served as Hezbollah's secretary-general for over three decades, was killed on September 27 during intensified Israeli attacks targeting Hezbollah positions, Caliber.Az reports via Al Jazeera.

In a televised address on February 2, Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's newly appointed leader, confirmed that Nasrallah was given a temporary burial due to challenging circumstances following his death. Qassem stated that the group will now hold "a grand funeral procession with a large public presence" for both Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, another senior Hezbollah official who was killed in an Israeli strike nearly a week after Nasrallah's death.

Qassem also revealed for the first time that Safieddine had been elected to succeed Nasrallah as secretary-general but was killed before the official announcement. Safieddine will be laid to rest in his hometown of Deir Qanoun in southern Lebanon, while Nasrallah will be buried on the outskirts of Beirut, between the old and new airport roads.

Following the deaths of its top leaders, Hezbollah elected Qassem, the group’s former deputy leader, as its new head on October 29. The loss of key military commanders has significantly impacted the group’s operational structure.

A ceasefire brokered in late November ended months of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. The agreement stipulated a 60-day deadline for Israeli troops to withdraw from southern Lebanon, for Hezbollah to remove its fighters and arms from the region, and for the Lebanese army to deploy in their place. This deadline was extended last month until February 18 amid ongoing tensions.

Both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire terms. Israel has faced allegations of continued military operations in Lebanon, while Israel accuses Hezbollah of failing to comply with withdrawal terms fully.

Hezbollah has faced mounting challenges since opening a front against Israel in October 2023 to support its ally Hamas in Gaza. The cross-border conflict resulted in significant casualties, including the loss of senior Hezbollah figures, marking a turbulent period for the Iranian-backed group.

By Khagan Isayev