Hundreds of people gathered at the site of the airstrike to honor Hezbollah leader

Candles and the group’s yellow flags were placed in and around the huge crater created by the attack during a ceremony organized by the Lebanese militant group, whose latest war with Israel came to an end when a fragile ceasefire took effect on Wednesday.

Loudspeakers played Nasrallah’s speeches and red lights gave the scene a crimson hue, with giant portraits of the slain leader peering down from damaged buildings surrounding the site.

“Syed Hassan was everything to us. If only we had died and he was still alive,” said Lama, a 30-year-old woman who brought her two young children to the event.

“He left a big void,” she added.

Nearby, a group of young men waving a Hezbollah flag chanted: “On your orders, Nasrallah.”

“I still can’t believe he’s dead,” said Lea, an 18-year-old student who came with her friends.

The southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, were bombed by Israeli aircraft during two months of all-out war in Lebanon.

The late September escalation followed nearly a year of cross-border firefights launched by Hezbollah in support of its ally Hamas following the Palestinian group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

The Sept. 27 airstrike that killed Nasrallah in an underground bunker also killed another commander, as well as a senior member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Nasrallah was buried in a secret location, fearing that his funeral would be targeted by Israel.

After the ceasefire, Hezbollah announced plans for a public funeral, but did not give a date.

© 2024 AFP