Tens of thousands begin to gather in Beirut ahead of Nasrallah’s funeral

People pass between chairs set up outside Beirut's City Sportive stadium, a day ahead of the funeral procession of Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, in Beirut, Lebanon, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
People pass between chairs set up outside Beirut's City Sportive stadium, a day ahead of the funeral procession of Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, in Beirut, Lebanon, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Tens of thousands of people are beginning to gather in Beirut to attend the funeral of Hezbollah’s former leader Hassan Nasrallah, nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital.

Roads into Beirut have been clogged with carloads of Hezbollah supporters traveling in from the movement’s strongholds in south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.

The funeral for Nasrallah, and his successor Hashem Safieddine, killed by Israel in early October, is set to take place at Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium on the outskirts of the capital, where giant posters of the two have been hung.

The stadium has a capacity of around 50,000 but Hezbollah organizers have installed thousands of extra seats on the pitch and many more outside, where mourners will be able to follow the ceremony on a giant screen.

The funeral is due to start at 1 p.m. and will include a speech by current leader Naim Qassem.

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