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Israeli fighter jets flew over thousands of people who gathered in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on February 23 to attend the funeral of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nassrallah, in a clear challenge to the group.
Nasrallah died on September 27 after Israeli fighter jets dropped more than 80 bombs on the main operations room of Hezbollah in a southern suburb of Beirut.
The leader was buried temporarily next to his son, Hadi, who was also killed by Israel while fighting for Hezbollah in 1997. His official funeral was delayed to allow time for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from south Lebanon under the terms of the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
The daring overflight took place as a truck carrying the coffins of Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine – Nasrallah’s successor who was killed in a separate Israeli strike before his new position was announced -slowly moved through the crowd in Beirut’s Sport City.
As the fighter jet flew over at a very low attitude, the mourners chanted: “Death to Israel, death to America, we respond to your call, Nasrallah.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the overflight was a “clear message” to anyone who threatens Israel.
“Israeli Air Force aircraft currently flying over Beirut, over the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, convey a clear message: Whoever threatens to destroy Israel and attack Israel — it will be their end,” he said in a statement. “You will specialize in funerals, and we will specialize in victories.”
Amid the funeral, the Israeli military released new footage of the airstrike that killed Nasrallah and, according to Israel, more than 20 Hezbollah commanders, including Ali Karaki, the commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front.
Speaking to the mourners, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said the group would keep following his “path” and rejected any control of “tyrant America” over Lebanon.
“The resistance is not over, the resistance is still present and ready” to face Israel, he said.
“We will uphold trust and walk on this path, we will uphold your will,” Qassem said, referring to Nasrallah, adding: “You are still with us, your… path and struggle live within us” and “I am loyal to the legacy.”
“We choose to fire when we see fit and are patient when we see fit,” he said.
And in a warning to the U.S., Qassem said: “know this Americans, if… you try to pressure officials and Lebanon, you will not be able to achieve your goals,” he added, asserting that “officials in Lebanon know the balance of powers.”
“Do not interpret our patience and wisdom in assessing priorities as weakness,” he added.
Israel also carried out several airstrikes in Lebanon on the same day, saying they targeted Hezbollah sites containing rocket launchers and other weapons threatening Israeli civilians.
According to Lebanese reports, the strikes occurred near the towns of Qlaileh and Zebqine, close to the coastal city of Tyre; near the village of Brissa in the Hermel District of northern Lebanon; near the town of Bodai in the Baalbek District; and near al-Ahmadiya in southern Lebanon.
The strikes were carried out after the Israeli military said it identified Hezbollah activity at the sites, which it said was a “violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon, and is a threat to the State of Israel and its citizens.”
The assassination of Nasrallah was a major blow to Hezbollah and is thought to be one of the main reasons that forced the group’s new leadership to make serious concessions in the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement.
Hezbollah took heavy losses in the confrontation with Israel which was directly caused by the war on the Gaza Strip. The group may be today at its weakest point ever, with Israeli troops present in five strategic posts in its heartland, southern Lebanon. Still, the solid religious ideology on which Hezbollah is based could allow the group to make a comeback as a serious military force in the future.
muslems are pathetic.
unfortunately, they still have not uncovered who betrayed the meeting location. i suspect intel came from iranian commanders who were turned by the jews.
if they have they’ll rue the day they did.
hezbollah is said to have dozents of manpads and hundrets of heavy machineguns and 23mm zsu aa guns. rumours say also a few iranian buk copys. so why they allow shlomo planes to fly unhinderet only a few hundret meters above them with low speed???
up to one million plus mourners for nasrallah and safieddene does not equate to “thousands”. how about the global response ? hezbollah took ‘heavy losses’ and may, yes may, be at its ‘weakest’ ? ? we shall see. did the child killing gypsy inbreds come out on top then ? give it a break. almost as bad as slagging off alma al assad.