Tens of Thousands Gather at Hezbollah Leader's Funeral...Analyzed as a Tool for Rallying Supporters

Held Five Months After Nasrallah's Death in Airstrike
Hezbollah Seeks to Demonstrate Resilience and Strengthen Internal Unity

The funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah who was killed in an Israeli airstrike last September, will be held on a large scale after more than five months. Even before the funeral begins, tens of thousands of people have gathered, and analysts suggest that Hezbollah intends to use this opportunity to demonstrate its resilience and strengthen internal unity.

According to major foreign media including the AP News, Nasrallah's funeral will take place on the afternoon of the 23rd (local time) at a large stadium on the outskirts of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. Attendees are expected to include Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister, and Lebanese officials.

A large crowd gathered at the stadium where Nasrallah's funeral is being held. Photo by Yonhap News

The AP News reported that tens of thousands of people have gathered at the stadium since the morning, predicting that this funeral will be the largest in Lebanon in over 20 years.

Nasrallah died in an Israeli airstrike last September. At that time, Hezbollah's leadership was severely weakened by Israeli bombings, to the extent that they could not hold a public funeral. Consequently, Hezbollah secretly buried Nasrallah and announced plans to hold a public funeral only after entering a temporary ceasefire with Israel.

There is speculation that Hezbollah aims to use the funeral externally to showcase its resilience and internally as an opportunity to block opposition forces and consolidate support. Nasrallah led Hezbollah for over 30 years and was also a founding member of the organization.

After Nasrallah's death, Hezbollah reportedly lost political control within Lebanon and faced criticism. In January this year, pro-Western President Joseph Aoun was elected, and the cabinet adopted a statement asserting that only the state has the right to defend Lebanese territory, targeting Hezbollah.

Hezbollah senior official Ali Damoush mentioned Israel, saying, "Let it be known that resistance against the enemy continues in every village and city," and added, "More than 800 prominent figures from 65 countries will attend."

Nasrallah is expected to be buried in Beirut after the funeral.