Hezbollah in Lebanon is getting ready for a huge crowd during the funeral of its dead leader Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday, which will give the Iran-backed organization a chance to demonstrate its might following a brutal conflict with Israel.
Nearly five months ago, Nasrallah was killed in a massive Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, shocking Hezbollah followers and sending shockwaves through Lebanon and the surrounding area.
The nation will pause for the burial on Sunday, which will take place at the Camille Chamoun sports stadium on the outskirts of the city at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT).
Hezbollah has announced strict security measures and urged security forces to help manage crowds that are expected to number in the tens of thousands, with people pouring in from Hezbollah strongholds across the country, as well as from abroad.
Hassan Wehbe, 60, an electrician in Beirut’s southern suburbs, said the funeral would be “a historic day”.
“There will be huge participation. Israel will see that we are not afraid,” he said.
The president and other high-ranking Lebanese officials have been invited by Hezbollah.
Iran, its main international supporter, has stated that it will take part “at a high level” but has not indicated who will be there.
According to Nicholas Blanford, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and an expert on Hezbollah based in Beirut, Hezbollah wanted “to be able to demonstrate that they haven’t been cowed — that they are still a popular force” among Shiites.
He told AFP that the funeral “is going to be exactly the event for that.”
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