Thousands Attend Memorial at Nasrallah’s Assassination Site

Thousands of people have gathered at the location where Hassan Nasrallah, the former leader of Hezbollah, was killed by an Israeli air strike, following the group’s decision to permit public access to the area for a memorial event for the first time. The extensive crater created by the Beirut strike was illuminated in red and adorned with Hezbollah flags. In its center, torches projected beams of light into the night sky. Men, women, and children were seen weeping at the sight of the crater, while the crowd chanted “At your service, Nasrallah” – a recognized rallying cry among Hezbollah supporters. Nasrallah led Hezbollah for more than 30 years, during which time it evolved into a formidable power in Lebanon, making him one of the most influential figures in the Middle East. A ceasefire agreement reached between Hezbollah and Israel on Wednesday facilitated the opening of the southern suburb, where Nasrallah was killed on 27 September, to journalists and the public. The militant and political organization had previously maintained strict control over entry to the suburb, known as the Dahieh, particularly the specific spot where Nasrallah was assassinated, which had been entirely closed off. The Israeli strike that resulted in the death of the Hezbollah leader reportedly involved as many as 80 bunker-busting bombs, and it demolished several residential buildings in Harek Hreik – the neighborhood that serves as the central point for Hezbollah’s operations in Beirut. When the crowd was granted access to the site for the first time on Saturday night, people surged into the open space left by the destroyed buildings and climbed up around the edges of the crater. Many held aloft candles and pictures of Nasrallah, who was 64, as a speech by the former leader played from a sound system. “For these two and half months we have refused to believe that he is really gone,” stated Narjis Khshaish, 31, who was weeping and clutching a candle. “We have all just been waiting to reach this place to receive his blessings,” she added. Moussa Dirani, 57, brought his teenage son to the memorial event. He commented, “It is very sad and painful to see this site. But the resistance does not stop with Nasrallah, his death gives us power to continue along his path.” The hundreds of Hezbollah flags at the event would “continue to fly high,” according to Fida Nasreddine, 34. She affirmed, “We are with Hassan Nasrallah until the last breath.” Nasrallah’s assassination shocked Lebanon and the wider world when the news emerged in September. He had rarely appeared in public since Hezbollah’s 2006 conflict with Israel and was consistently protected by tight security. He was one of several senior Hezbollah figures killed by Israel in air strikes between September and the ceasefire agreement finalized on Wednesday. The group had sustained significant damage from the assassinations, but the celebratory atmosphere in the Hezbollah-dominated areas of Beirut “cannot be dismissed as insincere,” observed David Wood, a Lebanon analyst with Crisis Group. He further explained, “The achievements that Hezbollah has promoted – maintaining its ground operations against Israel, ensuring that tens of thousands of Israelis couldn’t return to their homes, and having a severe impact on Israel’s economy, I don’t think those achievements are nothing, and I think lots of its supporters will see an element of victory in that.” Additional reporting was provided by Joanna Majzoub. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.