Tens of thousands in mass funeral for the killed Hezbollah leader Nasrallah

Tens of thousands in mass funeral for the killed Hezbollah leader Nasrallah

The long delayed funeral of the leader of the hezbollah , Nasrallah , takes place this Sunday, almost five months after he was killed in a massive Israeli air raid on the southern suburbs.

The importance of the funeral

Hezbollah is through the strong attacks Stark has been weakened and the major event should serve as a demonstration of the strength of the militant and political group.

mass casserole in Beirut

Tens of thousands of mourners filled the largest stadium in Beirut, where the ceremony began, and crowded in the surrounding streets. A large funeral procession will follow a vehicle that brings the coffin of the late military leader to a shrine in the south, which was built as his last resting place.

succession and legacy

The ceremony on Sunday also reminds of Nasrallah's successor, Hashem Safieddine, who only led the militant group for a few days before it was killed in an Israeli attack in early October.

Hezbollah's weakened state

Nasrallah was secretly buried secretly in a private ceremony immediately after his death. The fact that his funeral only takes place now underlines the weakened state of the militant group after an Israeli military campaign last autumn almost extinguished the group of the group and killed thousands of its fighters and hundreds of civilians.

The ceasefire and persistent conflicts

In November, a ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel ended, which ended a month-long war, but pushed the militant group deeper into the underground, since Israel continues to continue attacks on supposed Hezbollah goals. Local and state media reported that Israel attacked several locations in Lebanon a few hours before the start of the mass burial.

The end of an era

The death of Nasrallah marks the end of an era for an era for an militant group that was created in 1982 as a loose group of guerrilla fighters and developed into a regional power whose influence has extended on at least four countries.

military career

Nasrallah was elected leader of the armed group in 1992 at the age of 32. He took the lead over a guerrilla campaign in the south of Lebanon, which ultimately drove the Israeli troops out of the country in 2000 and ended a 22-year crew. In 2006 he led Hezbollah fighter into a large-scale war against Israel, which devastated large parts of Lebanon, but explained Israel to smash the group.

Intervention in the Middle East

In the wars in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, Nasrallah's forces intervened on behalf of groups that are supported by Iran, and thus strengthened Tehran's influence.

Hezbollah's change according to the Hamas attacks

The fate of Hezbollah changed according to the surprise attack on Israel, which was conducted by Hamas, in which around 1,200 people were killed on October 7, 2023. The militant group started daily rocket attacks on the northernmost territory of Israel to support Hamas and drive around 60,000 Israelis from their places of residence. Around 100,000 Lebanese residents of the south were also driven out by Israeli attacks, which led to an escalation that lasted almost a year before it ended in a full war last September.

Middle East conflict and international reactions

NASRALLAH described it as a "supportive front" that aimed to put pressure on Israel to end his retaliation in the Gaza Strip, devastated large parts of the besieged area and killed over 48,000 people.

The future of Hezbollah

Israel detonated in the middle of September that were hidden in thousands of Pager and Walkie-Talkies, which were worn by members of Hezbollah, and killed several leaders of the group. This revealed the profound penetration of Israel into the militant group. The future of Hezbollah as a militant group is increasingly questioned. Israel has legally assured to further attack the group's positions until it has disarmed and has retained five strategic positions in the southernmost part of Lebanon, which violates November the armistice agreement.

inner problems and pressure on Hezbollah

Inside the country, the group is under growing pressure to put down its weapons. This culminated in the inaugural speech of the newly elected President Joseph Aoun in January, in which he demanded that the weapons were to be monopolized under the authority of the state.

Hezbollah's resistance to disarmament

Hezbollah has long resisted claims to take off their weapons and argues that they have prevented Israel from being attacked to the country. Critics, on the other hand, claim that the militant attitude of the group makes functional Lebanese state formation impossible.