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Tensions rise as Lebanese commemorate Nasrallah assassination
Thousands of Hezbollah supporters have flooded the streets of southern Beirut to commemorate the first anniversary of Hassan Nasrallah’s death.
Men, women and children draped in black marched through Lebanon’s capital towards Nasrallah’s burial site, carrying portraits of the slain leader and chanting pledges of loyalty to his successor, Naim Qassem.
“We came here to tell everyone in Lebanon that Hezbollah is still strong,” said Fatima, whose husband was killed in the war with Israel last September.
Qassem, who took over a month after Nasrallah’s killing, will make an address.
Tensions over the commemoration have been mounting this week, particularly after Hezbollah projected the portraits of Nasrallah on the famed towering rocks off the coast of Beirut.
The display went ahead despite orders by Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and the Beirut governor not to do so, angering opponents of Hezbollah who said the cliffs should not be used for political displays.
Hezbollah chief says ground will resist disarmament, continue regional fight
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has just delivered a speech marking the first anniversary of the killings of former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and his close aide Hashem Safieddine.
Qassem hailed what he described as a legacy of “resistance victories” dating back to the 1990s, including Israel’s withdrawal in 2000, the July 2006 war, and later battles in Syria. He said the movement had “changed the face of the region” and continued to inspire allies abroad.
Qassem said Hezbollah had faced a “global war” waged through Israel with US and European backing, but insisted the group had regained the initiative on the battlefield.
He rejected US and Israeli calls to disarm Hezbollah, pledging instead to “confront any project that serves Israel”.
Qassem urged Lebanon’s government to prioritise reconstruction, sovereignty and unity, while also reaffirming support for Palestine, describing it as “the central cause”.
