Hezbollah supporters wave portraits of Hassan Nasrallah during a demonstration in Tayr Harfa, Southern Lebanon, on Feb. 9, 2025. (Credit: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)
Hezbollah announced on Tuesday the funeral program for its former leader, Hassan Nasrallah, set for Feb. 23 in Beirut. Killed on Sept. 27, 2024, in an Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of the capital, Nasrallah was temporarily buried in the same area. A large public funeral is expected to take place before his interment near the airport.
“The main gathering will be held at Camille Chamoun Sports City. The ceremony will last about an hour, during which Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem will deliver a speech,” Sheikh Ali Daher said on behalf of the party, according to Hezbollah’s Al-Manar channel. He added that representatives from “nearly 79 countries” are expected to attend, both officially and publicly, and that Hezbollah has formed 10 committees to organize the event. “Feb. 23, 2025, will mark the victory of blood over the sword,” he declared.
The funeral will also honor Hashem Safieddine, former head of Hezbollah’s executive council and Nasrallah’s anticipated successor, whose death was confirmed on Oct. 23 following a massive airstrike on the night of Oct. 3-4. Nasrallah will be buried “in a plot between the old and new roads leading to the airport,” Qassem said earlier this month, while Safieddine will be laid to rest in his hometown of Deir Qanoun al-Nahr in the Sour district.
No details have been provided on whether a procession to Nasrallah’s burial site will take place or which prominent figures may attend.
Speaking Tuesday on Hezbollah’s al-Nour radio station, Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani said there would be “a large popular and official Iranian presence” at the funerals of Nasrallah and Safieddine.
