Hundreds of thousands of heartbroken terrorists from across the Middle East and beyond have gathered in Beirut for the funeral of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s longtime leader, and his designated successor, Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, both of whom were assassinated by Israel last year.
Senior Hezbollah official Ali Daamoush told reporters on Saturday that approximately 800 dignitaries from 65 countries would be in attendance, along with thousands of individuals and activists who traveled from around the world.
إذا كان حزب الله قد هُزم، كما يزعم خصومه،و إذا كان جمهوره متعباً، منهكاً ومحبطاً، فلماذا كلّ هذا الذّعر من جنازة ؟!!
يلّي ما بيشوف من الغربال بيكون أعمى #صباح_الخير #إنّا_على_العهد_يا_نصر_الله #السيد_حسن_نصرالله #لبيك_يا_نصرالله pic.twitter.com/MMSFKfnA77
— ?Malak Seblini ❧❞?❞❧ (@SebliniMalak) February 23, 2025
Officials from across the region, including Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, were expected to attend the funeral at Beirut’s main sports stadium. Lebanese leaders, including the parliament speaker and representatives of the president and prime minister, were also set to participate in what is believed to be Lebanon’s largest funeral in two decades.
The public funeral is attracting many thousands of terrorists to Beirut, and the possibility of an Israel Air Force (IAF) attack is on the minds of many. The consideration of such an attack involves its military feasibility, strategic considerations, and geopolitical consequences.
While Israel could technically attack the funeral, the risks—both militarily and politically—would likely outweigh the benefits. Instead, Israel would more likely monitor the event for intelligence and opt for more covert means to target Hezbollah’s leadership.
Mourners began gathering at 9:00 AM local time on Sunday at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium and surrounding streets in southern Beirut for the funeral of Nasrallah and Safieddine. The event is being broadcast live on several TV channels.
As part of the massive ceremony, the streets of Beirut have been decorated with images of the two assassinated leaders, as well as Iran’s late Quds Force commander, Qassem Soleimani. Banners bearing the slogan “We remain true to the pledge” line the city.
Villages across southern Lebanon are also preparing for burial ceremonies. Nasrallah will be laid to rest on Sunday in Burj al-Barajneh, a southern suburb of Beirut, while Safieddine will be buried in his hometown of Deir Qanun al-Nahr on Monday.
Similar symbolic funeral ceremonies are being held in Tehran and other locations to honor the dead leaders. In the Iranian capital, a gathering will take place in the evening at Imam Khomeini Square, with billboards across the city displaying the message “We remain true to the pledge,” inviting people to attend.
As to the military feasibility of an attack from the air or with other means:
1. The IAF has the capability to track high-value targets, even in heavily guarded locations. Nasrallah’s funeral attracts many senior Hezbollah officials, making it an intelligence goldmine for Israel.
2. Israel possesses long-range precision-guided munitions, including bunker-busting bombs, that could effectively strike a designated target in Beirut.
3. Striking the Nasrallah funeral would be an extreme escalation, potentially sparking an all-out war between Israel and Iran.
4. Attacking a funeral, even one for a monster, could generate massive condemnation from the international community.
The funeral takes place five months after Israel killed Nasrallah on September 27, 2024, when it dropped 80 bombs on his bunker just south of Beirut in a matter of minutes. His death marked the removal of a leader who held near-mythical status among Lebanon’s Shiite Muslims. It became one of the defining moments in the ongoing conflict between Iran’s proxies and Israel, leaving Hezbollah significantly weakened.
In the months that followed, Israeli forces relentlessly attacked the terror group, and Hezbollah’s once-dominant control over Lebanon’s politics began to unravel, with many Lebanese holding the group responsible for dragging the country into one of its deadliest and most destructive wars.
