Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. (Illustration by Guilhem Dorandeu/L’Orient Today)
Today, Thursday, Aug. 1 at 5 p.m. Beirut time, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah is scheduled to deliver a speech at the funeral of Fouad Shukur, the party's top military commander.
What to expect from the speech?
Fouad Shukur was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday, July 30 in Haret Hreik, a southern suburb of Beirut. The strike killed 6 others, including children and an Iranian military advisor, and injured over 80 civilians. A few hours later, the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian movement Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in an alleged Israeli strike, in Teheran, where he was attending the inauguration of the new Iranian president, Massoud Pezeshkian.
The Israeli strike on Shukur was the second to target the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, since the start of the conflict in Oct. 2023. The first January strike killed Saleh al-Arouri, a senior Hamas leader, dubbed the party's number two.
The Israeli message is clear, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reminded on Wednesday evening: Israel can strike anywhere, at any time. In this context, Hezbollah and Iran have promised to strike back.
After 10 months of conflict and Israel's crossing of Hezbollah's "red line," in strikes that target Beirut's southern suburbs and ones that kill and injure civilians, the rules of the game could change.
In the region, the assassinations of Shukur and Haniyeh will mark a definitive turning point.
When will the speech be delivered?
If you're following the speech live in English, it starts at 5 p.m. Beirut time on Thursday, Aug. 1.
How can I follow the speech live?
You can follow the speech live in English via this link.
We'll also share highlights of the speech on our WhatsApp group. Click here to join and stay updated.
A few recommendations for further reading
Who is Fouad Shukur, the Hezbollah official targeted by Israel?
Iran and Hezbollah poised for retaliation after assassinations of Haniyeh and Shukur
Hezbollah looks for appropriate response to Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburb
What do we know about Hezbollah's precision-guided missiles project led by Fouad Shukur?
