Hezbollah will hold a public funeral for its late leader, Hassan Nasrallah, on February 23, the group’s current chief, Naim Qassem, announced on Sunday.
Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike last September. The funeral for Hashem Safieddine, who was chosen to succeed Nasrallah but was also killed in an Israeli raid in October, will take place on the same day.
Qassem explained that security conditions during the two-month all-out war between Hezbollah and Israel, which ended on November 27, prevented the group from holding funerals earlier. He described the upcoming event as a “grand public funeral” to honour both leaders.
Safieddine’s Brief Tenure as Leader
In a televised speech, Qassem confirmed for the first time that Safieddine had been elected as Hezbollah’s Secretary-General before his death. “We had elected His Eminence Sayyed Hashem as Secretary-General, but he was martyred on October 3, a day or two before the announcement,” Qassem stated. Safieddine will be buried with the title of Secretary-General in his hometown of Deir Qanun in southern Lebanon.
Nasrallah will be buried on the outskirts of Beirut, in a plot of land located between the old and new airport roads. The location was chosen to accommodate the expected large turnout of mourners.
The dual funerals will pay tribute to Nasrallah and Safieddine, who both held crucial leadership roles in Hezbollah. Despite ongoing conflicts, this event highlights the group’s determination to honour its leaders.
