Hezbollah supporters outside of the Camille Chamoun Stadium during the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah on Feb. 23, 2025. (Credit: Nicholas Frakes/L'Orient Today)
The funeral in Beirut on Sunday of the former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah reportedly drew between 700,000 and 900,000 attendees, according to figures released Monday by the Lebanese polling institute Information International. An "enormous and record number, compared to the population in Lebanon," noted the institute.
Many speculations circulated regarding the number of people present at the funeral of the Hezbollah leader, which took place at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium. Some sources mentioned more than 230,000 participants, while those close to Hezbollah announced a figure reaching up to 900,000, or even more, including those present inside and around the Sports City.
In a statement, Information International explained that the figure of 200,000 participants is "too low and unscientific, knowing that 40 percent (of the presumed 200,000 participants) were inside the Sports City."
"The figure of 1,400,000 people is also incorrect because it assumes the participation of all Shiites living in Lebanon (1,200,000 people), as well as nearly 200,000 people from other communities or coming from abroad. However, [those who came from abroad for the event] do not exceed 15,000 people, according to airport figures," the text said.
The institute also stated that it was unable to count those who gathered in the adjacent buildings and streets and did not have access to aerial images to refine its count. The statistics center said it is ready to "adjust its figures if provided with the necessary evidence."
On Sunday, the popular attendance at the funerals of Nasrallah and his short-lived successor Hashem Safieddine was massive. The stadium was already filled three hours before the start of the ceremony.
Killed in late September by an Israeli strike, Nasrallah was buried Sunday not far from Beirut airport, while Safieddine, also killed by Israel in early October, was buried Monday in his village of Deir Qanoun al-Nahr in south Lebanon.