Tens of thousands join mass funeral for slain Hezbollah leader Nasrallah

The long-delayed funeral for Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah is taking place Sunday, nearly five months after he was killed in a massive Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut.

The long-delayed funeral for Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah took place on Sunday, nearly five months after he was killed in a massive Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut. Hezbollah has been left badly depleted by Israeli attacks and the mass event was intended as a show of strength for the militant and political group. Israel struck several locations in southern and eastern Lebanon during the mass funeral, according to local and state media. The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah stockpiles of weapons. A formation of Israeli fighter jets flew very low over the main site of the funeral after Nasrallah’s coffin was unveiled in what Israel’s military called “a clear message” to the group. Tens of thousands of mourners flooded Beirut’s largest stadium, where the ceremony began, and packed the surrounding streets. A large procession trailed the late leader’s hearse to a shrine in southern Beirut, erected as his final resting place. Mourners threw scarves at the hearse which pallbearers touched on Nasrallah’s turban, placed on top of the Hezbollah-draped coffin, and lobbed it back to mourners. Speaking from a remote location, Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem addressed mourners and vowed to continue down Nasrallah’s path “even if we are all killed.”