Hezbollah Holds Funeral of Ex-Leader Nasrallah Months After Israeli Assassination
People gather for the funeral ceremony of Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine at the Sports City Stadium in Beirut, on Feb. 23.
Photographer: Hassan Ammar/APThis article is for subscribers only.
Hundreds of thousands of mourners attended the funerals of Hezbollah’s longtime chief Hassan Nasrallah and his heir Hashem Safieddine on Sunday, even as Israel intensified airstrikes on Lebanon, the most intense wave of attacks since November’s ceasefire.
The assassination of the two leaders in Beirut in September was a devastating blow to Iran’s most powerful militant group, marking a pivotal moment in the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. A few days after their deaths, Israel escalated its military operations in Lebanon with a ground incursion on its northern neighbor.