Hezbollah to hold a funeral for its slain leaders
A portrait of slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah appears in front of the rubble of a building at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon on November 14, 2024. File photo by Fadel Itani/UPI
BEIRUT, Lebanon, Feb. 2 (UPI) — Hezbollah announced Sunday that a funeral for Hassan Nasrallah and his successor Hashem Safieddine, who were killed by Israel more than four months ago, will take place later this month.
Sheikh Naim Qassem, the current leader of the Iran-backed militant group, said that Nasrallah was killed at a time the security conditions were 'difficult, and we did not have the possibility of holding a funeral' for him.
Hezbollah had fears then that his funeral would be targeted by Israel.
Qassem said in a speech broadcast by Hezbollah-run Al Manar television station that Nasrallah was originally buried in an undisclosed location after his assassination in an Israeli airstrike that hit the group's underground central command headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Israel reportedly used 85 bunker-busting bombs, one ton each, in the attack.
He added that the group decided to hold on Feb. 23 'a grand solemn public funeral' for the men.
Nasrallah was assassinated during an Israeli strike on Sept. 27.
Hashem Safieddine, who served as the head of Hezbollah's Executive Council from 2001, was elected as the new secretary-general to succeed Nasrallah but was killed Oct. 3 before the group could make the announcement, Qassem revealed.
He explained that Nasrallah will be buried 'in a piece of land' at the edge of Beirut's southern suburbs near the airport. Safieddine will be buried in his village of Deir Qanoun En Nahr in southern Lebanon.
The joint funeral, which will take place after the extended cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel expires on Feb. 18, will be attended by 'personalities and political parties' from Lebanon and abroad. Details are to be announced later.
A U.S.-brokered cease-fire agreement that ended 14 months of a destructive Hezbollah-Israel war on Nov. 27 was extended to Feb. 18 after Israel refused to complete the pullout of its forces from southern Lebanon under the 60-day deadline set in the accord.
Israel has argued that the Lebanese Army has been slow in redeploying, while Hezbollah still maintains its military presence in areas prohibited by the agreement.
Lebanon has accused the Israeli military of procrastinating its troop withdrawal.
Israel's decision to remain inside southern Lebanon prompted thousands of displaced residents last Sunday to forcefully return to their towns and homes, most of which were destroyed by the war between Israel and Hezbollah that broke out in October 2023.
A total of 26 people were killed and 134 were wounded when Israeli forces opened fire on the returning residents.
Qassem said the 'sacrifices' of the southern residents' will lead to the complete liberation of the land,' rejecting Israel's attempts to stay in the border area.
'Resistance will stay, and Hezbollah will not change its convictions,' he said, calling on the Lebanese authorities to 'handle its responsibilities' for securing the implementation of the cease-fire accord.
Under the agreement, Hezbollah must end its military presence and withdraw to north of the Litani River, while Israeli forces should pull out completely to pave the way for the Lebanese Army to deploy and take control of the area.
Hezbollah was greatly weakened during the war after receiving devastating blows, with Israel killing its top leaders and dismantling its military infrastructure.
Last October, a memorial ceremony attended by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was held for Nasrallah in Tehran.
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