The head of Hezbollah's media office, Ali Daher, at a press conference announcing preparations for the commemoration of the assassination of the former Hezbollah secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, and Hashem Safieddine, in Ghobeiri, in the southern suburbs of Beirut. (Credit: Al-Manar)
The head of Hezbollah's media office, Ali Daher, announced on Tuesday the plans for the first commemoration of the assassination of the former secretary-general of the party, Hassan Nasrallah, one year after he was killed on Sept. 27, 2024, in a massive Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut at the start of the open war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Other senior figures of the group, including Nasrallah's designated successor and brief party secretary-general Hashem Safieddine, who was also killed in a major Israeli airstrike on Oct. 3, 2024, will also be honored during the ceremony.
18 days of commemoration
At a press conference held at Ghobeiri municipality's cultural center in the Ressalat theater, Daher said the commemoration will start on Sept. 25 and run until Oct. 12.
On Sept. 25, the Raouche Rock, in west Beirut, “will be illuminated in the colors and with the images of the two martyred secretary-generals, between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.,” as Daher explained, along with “maritime activities” taking place at that time. It is not yet known whether the authorities have approved these activities.
On Sept. 27, the exact day of the assassination, an official ceremony will be held simultaneously at the mausoleums of the three former secretaries-general, including Abbas Moussawi, Nasrallah's predecessor, who was assassinated by Israel in 1992. During the event, the current party leader, Naim Qassem, will give a speech.
Other announced events include a public vigil on Sept. 27 across all regions of Lebanon, with gatherings at exactly 6:21 p.m., the time of Hassan Nasrallah's death.
Additionally, special programs will be broadcast throughout the day on Sept. 25 by the Union of Islamic Radio and Television Stations, and "Quranic evenings" will be held at the mentioned mausoleums with the participation of religious leaders from several foreign countries.
The slogan chosen for all these commemorations will be the same one displayed during the solemn funerals of Nasrallah and Safieddine held on Feb. 23 at Beirut Sports City: “We are faithful to our commitment,” Daher said.
During those funerals, which occurred nearly five months after the respective assassinations of the two former party secretaries-general, a long funeral procession was held for more than two kilometers along the Rafik Hariri International Airport highway to Nasrallah's mausoleum, where he was laid to rest in the municipality of Burj al-Barajneh, not far from the airport. Safieddine was buried in his native village, Deir Qanoun al-Nahr (Sour district).
That day, Israeli aircraft flew twice at low altitude over the funeral site without launching strikes on the Lebanese capital.
