Mourners attend former Hezbollah leader Nasrallah’s funeral in Lebanon
Al JazeeraFEB 23
Israeli Jets Fly Low Over Funeral of Slain Hezbollah Leaders in Beirut
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Above: Tens of thousands of mourners attend the funeral of the former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine in Beirut, Lebanon on February 23, 2025. Image copyright: Toufic Rmeiti/Middle East Images/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
Hundreds of thousands gathered at Beirut's Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium on Sunday for the funeral of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and his successor Hashem Safieddine, who were killed in Israeli airstrikes last year.
The funeral drew approximately 800 prominent figures from 65 countries, including high-ranking Iranian officials such as Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while the Lebanese army and police maintained tight security measures.
Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah for over 30 years, was killed when Israel dropped more than 80 bombs on the group's main operations room in September 2024. Safieddine was killed in a subsequent airstrike before he could become the group's new leader.
The Spin
Pro-Iran narrative
The massive turnout at the funeral demonstrates that Hezbollah remains powerful and resilient despite recent setbacks, proving the resistance movement is still alive and strong in both numbers and weapons, with inevitable victory on the horizon.
Pro-Israel narrative
Hezbollah's attempts to project strength seem to have fallen flat as the Lebanese clearly are tired of pointless wars with Israel they are doomed to lose. Israel wants to live in peace with its neighbors, yet groups like Hezbollah make that impossible.
