Thousands of people gather in a Hezbollah stronghold south of Beirut for the funeral of Samir Kuntar, a high-profile terrorist who the group says was killed by an Israeli airstrike near the Syrian capital.
During the funeral, Hezbollah leaders vow to exact revenge on Israel, with one senior official, Omar al-Mussawi, asserting that the Jewish state will come to “regret the assassination.”
According to a Ynetnews translation, another senior official, Hashim Safi Al Din, says: “Samir Kuntar was made for Palestine and he died a martyr for it.”
Palestinians chant slogans against Israel during a demonstration in support of late Lebanese terrorist Samir Kantar (portrait) in the West Bank city of Nablus on December 21, 2015 (AFP / JAAFAR ASHTIYEH)
He adds, “If the Israeli thinks he settled the score with Kuntar’s assassination, then he is wrong. He knows he only set new scores.”
Al Din says the assassination of Kuntar was a “stupid” act, warning that “only days separate us from the Israeli enemy.”
In the immediate wake of the strike that killed Kuntar along with some eight other members of a cell he led, Hezbollah pledged vengeance, sparking fears of escalation.
At the funeral, supporters of the group walk behind Kuntar’s coffin, which is draped in a yellow Hezbollah flag.
“Death to Israel,” the men shout as women throw rice and rose petals at the casket.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is due to speak later Monday about his killing.
— Agencies contributed
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