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Hezbollah’s leader said “resistance” was not over as hundreds of thousands mourned slain chief Hassan Nasrallah Sunday at a Beirut funeral, demonstrating continued support for the group after a devastating war with Israel.During the funeral, women wailed as a truck carrying the coffins of Nasrallah and his chosen successor Hashem Safieddine — both killed in Israeli strikes — slowly moved through the crowd, topped with two black turbans and draped in Hezbollah’s yellow flag.A procession headed towards Nasrallah’s burial site near the airport, where a stampede erupted. A live broadcast by Al-Manar TV showed Hezbollah members in military uniform pushing crowds away from the coffin after it was unloaded from the truck.Safieddine will be interred in his southern hometown of Deir Qanun al-Nahr on Monday.The massive Israeli strike in September that killed Nasrallah, a charismatic leader who led Hezbollah for more than three decades, dealt a heavy blow to the Iran-backed group.But Hezbollah, which dominated Lebanon’s politics for decades, has long had a support base in the country’s Shiite Muslim community.As the funeral began at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Israeli warplanes flew at a low altitude over Beirut in what Defence Minister Israel Katz said was a “clear message” to anyone who threatens Israel.In a televised address at the ceremony, Nasrallah’s successor Naim Qassem said Hezbollah would keep following his “path”, and rejected any control by the “tyrant America” over Lebanon.”The resistance is not over, the resistance is still present and ready” to face Israel, he said.Nasrallah speeches were blasted as the mourners raised their fists in the air and chanted: “We are at your service, Nasrallah.”Two Hezbollah sources told AFP that the estimated number of participants  is “around 800,000″ people.Men, women and children walked in the biting cold to reach the site of the ceremony, which was delayed for months over security concerns.”When I saw the coffin, reality dawned upon me,” said Lara, 26, adding that she had a hard time coming to terms with his killing.”The pain is great,” she added.AFP correspondents said the stadium, which can accommodate roughly 78,000 people according to organisers, was fully packed.- ‘A great mujahid’ -As crowds gathered, the official National News Agency reported Israeli strikes in Lebanon’s south and east, which Israel’s military said targeted “sites containing rocket launchers and weapons”.Israel has carried out multiple strikes in Lebanon since a November 27 ceasefire deal with Hezbollah ended more than a year of hostilities including two months of all-out war.The funeral comes days after the deadline for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon’s south, with Israeli troops pulling out from all but five locations. Both sides have accused each other of violating the truce.Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam delegated officials to attend the ceremony on their behalf.Speaking to Iran’s delegation ahead of the funeral, Aoun said: “Lebanon has grown tired of the wars of others on its land.”Hezbollah’s weakening in the war has contributed to the election of Aoun, seen as a favourite among Western governments, after a two-year power vacuum. He named Salam as his premier last month.Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed “resistance” against Israel as Hezbollah held the funeral.He praised Nasrallah as “a great mujahid (fighter) and prominent leader” and Safieddine as “a close confidant and an inseparable part of the leadership”.Iranian parliament speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, among the foreign dignitaries attending the funeral, said later that it “marked a turning point, showing the greatness of the resistance front and the resistance of the Lebanese people”.Representatives from pro-Iran factions in Iraq and other regional allies were also in attendance at the funeral.Sam Heller of the Century Foundation think-tank said it was important for Hezbollah “to demonstrate that it remains a major social and political force, despite some of the setbacks it’s been dealt”.- ‘Dearest to our souls’ -Since Saturday, roads into Beirut have been clogged with carloads of supporters travelling in from Hezbollah’s other power centres in south and east Lebanon.Khouloud Hamieh, 36, came from the east to mourn the leader who she said was “dearest to our souls”.Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television said the movement deployed 25,000 members for crowd control. A security source said 4,000 troops and security personnel were on duty.Civil aviation authorities said Beirut airport would close exceptionally for four hours.A founding member of Hezbollah in 1982, Nasrallah won renown around the Arab world in May 2000 when Israel ended its 22-year occupation of south Lebanon following relentless attacks by the group under his leadership.In the decades since, Lebanese have been divided over Hezbollah, with many criticising the group for initiating more recent hostilities with Israel in support of Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed “resistance” against Israel as Tehran-backed Hezbollah held a funeral Sunday in Beirut for its leader Hassan Nasrallah, killed in an Israeli strike last year.”The enemy should know that resistance against usurpation, oppression and arrogance is never-ending and will continue until the desired goal is achieved,” Khamenei said in a statement published on his official website.Nasrallah was killed alongside Iranian Revolutionary Guards general Abbas Nilforoushan in an Israeli strike on south Beirut on September 27, during a war between Israel and Hezbollah that ended in a November ceasefire.Tens of thousands of mourners gathered in the Lebanese capital for the funeral of the longtime Hezbollah chief and his heir apparent Hashem Safieddine, who was killed in a separate strike.Khamenei praised Nasrallah as “a great mujahid (fighter) and prominent leader”, and Safieddine as “a close confidant and an inseparable part of the leadership”.Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in Beirut for the funeral along with parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and deputy Revolutionary Guards commander Ali Fadavi, said the fight against “oppression and occupation” will continue.Nasrallah’s death was “not the end of the road”, Araghchi said, but “a new point in the ongoing struggle against oppression and occupation”.Iranian state television broadcast the funeral live, with an anchor reciting poems hailing Hezbollah “resistance” fighters.It also aired images of a gathering in the capital Tehran to mourn Nasrallah and Safieddine, which was attended by Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials.Other cities in Iran held similar gatherings, according to state TV.Hezbollah has long been part of the “axis of resistance”, an alliance of Iran-backed armed groups opposed to Israel and its ally the United States.In a post on X, Araghchi said he was “honoured” to attend the funeral in Beirut.He condemned Israel for sending warplanes that flew at low altitude over the procession, calling it a “violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty.”

Israel said on Sunday its troops would remain for many months in refugee camps in the occupied West Bank, after tens of thousands of Palestinians living there have been displaced by an intensifying military operation.The military began a major raid against Palestinian militants in the West Bank’s north a month ago, just after a truce went into effect in the Gaza Strip, a separate Palestinian territory.The West Bank offensive has gradually expanded, spanning multiple refugee camps near the cities of Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas.Three of the camps, Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams, “are now empty of residents”, Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.He put the number of displaced Palestinians at 40,000, the same figure provided by the United Nations which said the offensive has so far killed at least 51 Palestinians including seven children, and three Israeli soldiers.Katz said he had instructed troops “to prepare for a prolonged presence in the cleared camps for the coming year and to prevent the return of residents and the resurgence of terrorism”.Also on Sunday, Israel’s military announced tank deployments in Jenin, where it was “expanding” operations.This is the first time tanks have operated in the West Bank since the end of the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, in 2005.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking at a military ceremony on Sunday, said the deployment showed that “we are fighting terror with all means, everywhere”.Michael Horowitz, head of intelligence at security and risk management consultancy Le Beck International, told AFP there was “no real military logic to using tanks in the West Bank at this stage”.”Unless it is to send a message, and potentially to stay more permanently in areas that have been targeted by Israeli raids,” he added.AFPTV footage showed Israeli tanks advancing and bulldozers operating in the Jenin area on Sunday.”The occupation’s army destroyed Palestinian shops and infrastructure,” said Jenin resident Fayez al-Sayyed.”This is a way to execute their policy of displacing the Palestinian people from their land,” he told AFP.”We are here, and we will not leave our country.”- ‘Flattening entire streets’ -Netanyahu made a rare visit to troops in the territory on Friday and ordered the army to step up its operations in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967.Earlier this week, bombs that Israeli officials said resembled those used by West Bank militants exploded on several empty buses in central Israel without causing any injuries.Following the blasts, Netanyahu announced that Israel was “entering terrorist strongholds, flattening entire streets that terrorists use, and their homes.”Israeli forces said they had “apprehended 26 terrorists, confiscated three guns and additional weapons, and questioned suspected individuals” across the West Bank on Saturday.Analyst Horowitz said “the Israeli government has been devoting a lot more attention to the West Bank” since a shaky ceasefire took hold in Gaza on January 19.In both Tulkarem and Jenin, the army has demolished dozens of homes with explosives, opening up new access routes into the densely built camps.Armoured bulldozers have wreaked havoc, upturning tarmac, cutting water pipes and tearing down roadside facades.Violence in the West Bank has surged since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023.Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 900 Palestinians, including many militants, in the territory since the start of the Gaza war, according to the Palestinian health ministry.At least 32 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the territory over the same period, according to Israeli official figures.

Hezbollah’s leader vowed “resistance” was not over as tens of thousands mourned slain chief Hassan Nasrallah Sunday at his Beirut funeral, demonstrating continued support for the group after a devastating war with Israel.During the funeral, women wailed as a truck carrying the coffins of Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine — Nasrallah’s chosen successor killed in another Israeli air strike — slowly moved through the crowd, topped with two black turbans and draped in Hezbollah’s yellow flag.A procession headed towards the site near the airport highway where Nasrallah will be buried. Safieddine will be interred in his southern hometown of Deir Qanun al-Nahr on Monday.The September killing of the charismatic leader — who led Hezbollah for more than three decades — in a massive Israeli strike dealt a heavy blow to the Iran-backed group.But Hezbollah, which dominated Lebanon’s politics for decades, has long had a support base in the country’s Shiite Muslim community.As the funeral began at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Israeli warplanes flew at a low altitude over Beirut in what Defence Minister Israel Katz said was a “clear message” to anyone who threatens Israel.”You will specialise in funerals — and we in victories,” Katz said.In a televised address at the ceremony, Nasrallah’s successor Naim Qassem said Hezbollah would keep following his “path”, and rejected any control by the “tyrant America” over Lebanon.”The resistance is not over, the resistance is still present and ready” to face Israel, he said.Nasrallah speeches were blasted as the mourners raised their fists in the air and chanted: “We are at your service, Nasrallah.”Men, women and children walked in the biting cold to reach the site of the ceremony, which was delayed for months over security concerns.”When I saw the coffin, reality dawned upon me,” said Lara, 26, adding that she had a hard time coming to terms with his killing.”The pain is great… words cannot describe how I feel,” she added.AFP correspondents said the stadium, which can accommodate roughly 78,000 people according to organisers, was fully packed.- ‘A great mujahid’ -As crowds gathered, the official National News Agency (NNA) reported Israeli strikes in Lebanon’s south — including one that wounded a Syrian girl — and in the east.Israel’s military said it had struck “sites containing rocket launchers and weapons” in those areas.Israel has carried out multiple strikes in Lebanon since a November 27 ceasefire deal with Hezbollah ended more than a year of hostilities including two months of all-out war.The funeral comes days after the deadline for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon’s south, with Israeli troops pulling out from all but five locations. Both sides have accused each other of violating the truce.Both Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam delegated officials to attend the ceremony on their behalf.Speaking to Iran’s delegation ahead of the funeral, Aoun said: “Lebanon has grown tired of the wars of others on its land.”Hezbollah’s weakening in the war was widely seen as having contributed to the election of Aoun — seen as a favourite among Western governments — who named Salam as his premier last month after a two-year power vacuum.Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed “resistance” against Israel as Hezbollah held the funeral.He praised Nasrallah as “a great mujahid (fighter) and prominent leader” and Safieddine as “a close confidant and an inseparable part of the leadership”.Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were in attendance at the funeral, with representatives of Iraq’s main pro-Iran factions also expected to come.Sam Heller of the Century Foundation think-tank said it was “important for the group to demonstrate that it remains a major social and political force, despite some of the setbacks it’s been dealt”.- ‘Dearest to our souls’ -Since Saturday, roads into Beirut have been clogged with carloads of supporters travelling in from Hezbollah’s other power centres in south and east Lebanon.Khouloud Hamieh, 36, came from the east to mourn the leader who she said was “dearest to our souls”.Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television said the movement deployed 25,000 members for crowd control. A security source said 4,000 troops and security personnel were on duty.Civil aviation authorities said Beirut airport would close exceptionally for four hours.A founding member of Hezbollah in 1982, Nasrallah won renown around the Arab world in May 2000 when Israel ended its 22-year occupation of south Lebanon following relentless attacks by the group under his leadership.In the decades since, Lebanese have been divided over Hezbollah, with many criticising the group for initiating more recent hostilities with Israel in support of Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Hamas on Sunday said Israel has gravely endangered a five-week-old Gaza truce by delaying the release of Palestinian prisoners under the deal because of the manner it has freed Israeli hostages.The first phase of the truce ends early in March and details of a planned subsequent phase have not been agreed.With tensions again hanging over the deal, which halted more than 15 months of war, Israel on Sunday announced an expansion of military operations in the occupied West Bank.The military said a tank division will be sent into the West Bank city of Jenin, the first such deployment to the territory in 20 years.Since the Gaza ceasefire began on January 19, Hamas has released 25 living Israeli hostages in ceremonies before crowds at various locations in Gaza.Armed masked fighters escort the captives onto stages adorned with slogans. The hostages have spoken and waved in what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called “humiliating ceremonies”.The Red Cross has previously appealed to “all parties” for the swaps to be carried out in a “dignified and private” manner.In the seventh such transfer, Hamas released six Israeli captives on Saturday but Israel put off the planned release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners in exchange.Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said postponing the release exposes “the entire agreement to grave danger”.Naim said the mediators, “especially the Americans”, must pressure Israel’s government “to implement the agreement as it is and immediately release our prisoners.”Both sides have accused each other of violations during the ceasefire but it has so far held.- Israeli tanks in Jenin -Early Sunday, Netanyahu’s office said that, “in light of Hamas’s repeated violations — including the disgraceful ceremonies that dishonour our hostages and the cynical use of hostages for propaganda — it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists.”Israel vowed to destroy Hamas after its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war. The attack resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people, and Israel’s retaliation killed more than 48,000, according to figures from both sides.Alongside the Gaza war — which displaced almost the entire population of 2.4 million — violence has also soared in the West Bank.On Sunday, Israel’s military said “a tank division will operate in Jenin” as part of “expanding” operations in the area, where the military began a major raid against Palestinian militants just after the Gaza truce began.The United Nations has said the military activities have led to “forced displacement” of 40,000 Palestinians from Jenin and other refugee camps.Defence Minister Israel Katz said he has told troops “to prepare for a prolonged presence in the cleared camps for the coming year and to prevent the return of residents and the resurgence of terrorism”.Michael Horowitz, head of intelligence for Le Beck risk management consultancy, said the deployment of tanks in the West Bank aims to “send a message, and potentially to stay more permanently”.He said it comes at a “very sensitive time for the ceasefire”, noting that Netanyahu faces the choice of either returning to war or his government potentially collapsing.In the West Bank as well as in Gaza, families of Palestinian prisoners had waited with uncertainty into the night on Saturday, hoping for their release.In the city of Khan Yunis, Umm Diya al-Agha, 80, said she had received word her son was among those scheduled to be freed, after 33 years in prison.”If my heart were made of iron, it would have melted and shattered. Every day, I have been waiting for this moment,” she said.- ‘Parading of bodies’ -The six Israelis released Saturday were the last group of living hostages set to be freed under the truce’s first phase.At a ceremony in Nuseirat, central Gaza, hostages Eliya Cohen, 27, Omer Shem Tov, 22, and Israeli-Argentine Omer Wenkert, 23, waved from a stage, flanked by masked Hamas militants, before being transferred to the Red Cross.”I saw the look on his face. He’s calm, he knows he’s coming back home… He’s a real hero,” said Wenkert’s friend Rory Grosz.In Rafah, southern Gaza, militants handed over Tal Shoham, 40, and Avera Mengistu, 38.A sixth hostage, Hisham al-Sayed, 37, was later released in private and taken back to Israeli territory, the military said.Sayed, a Bedouin Muslim, and Mengistu, an Ethiopian Jew, had been held in Gaza for about a decade after they entered the territory individually.Hamas said they freed Sayed in private to “honour and respect” Palestinians inside Israel.On Thursday, the first transfer of dead hostages under the truce sparked anger in Israel after analysis concluded that captive Shiri Bibas’s remains were not among the four bodies returned.UN human rights chief Volker Turk condemned the “parading of bodies” during a ceremony in which coffins, with pictures of the dead attached, were displayed on a slogan-bedecked stage.Bibas and her two young sons became symbols of Israel’s hostage ordeal.Hamas admitted a possible “mix-up of bodies”, and late Friday handed over more human remains, which the Bibas family said had been identified as the mother’s.Hamas has long maintained that an Israeli air strike killed Bibas and her sons.Forensics expert Chen Kugel, however, said an autopsy of their remains found “no evidence of injuries caused by a bombing”.burs-jsa/ysm

Tens of thousands of black-clad mourners vowed support for Hezbollah at the Beirut funeral of slain leader Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday, after the group was dealt major blows in its last round of hostilities with Israel.Women wailed as a truck carrying the coffins of Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine — Nasrallah’s chosen successor killed in another Israeli air strike — slowly moved through the crowd, topped with two black turbans and draped in Hezbollah’s yellow flag.The September killing of the charismatic leader, who led Hezbollah for more than three decades, in a massive Israeli strike dealt a heavy blow to the Iran-backed group.But Hezbollah, which dominated Lebanon’s politics for decades, has long had a support base in the country’s majority Shiite Muslim community.As the funeral began at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Israeli warplanes flew at a low altitude over Beirut in what Defence Minister Israel Katz said was a “clear message” against anyone who threatens Israel.In a televised address to the ceremony, Nasrallah’s successor Naim Qassem said Hezbollah 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.Nasrallah speeches were blasted as the mourners raised their fists in the air and chanted “We are at your service, Nasrallah” and “We are loyal to the promise, Nasrallah”.Men, women and children walked in the biting cold to reach the site of the ceremony, that was delayed for months over security concerns.One of them was Umm Mahdi, 55, who had come to see Nasrallah “one last time and see his shrine”.”This is the least we can do for Sayyed, who gave up everything,” she added, using an honorific.AFP correspondents at the stadium, which organisers said could accommodate roughly 78,000 people, was fully packed.- ‘Heroes of the resistance’ -As crowds gathered, the official National News Agency (NNA) reported Israeli strikes in Lebanon’s south, including a location about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the border, but also in the east.Israel’s military said it had struck “sites containing rocket launchers and weapons” in those areas.The Israeli army in a tweet ahead of the start of the funeral said “the world is a better place”. Israel has carried out multiple strikes in Lebanon since a November 27 ceasefire deal with Hezbollah ended more than a year of hostilities including two months of all-out war.The funeral comes days after the deadline for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon’s south, with Israeli troops pulling out from all but five locations. Both sides have accused each other of violating the truce.President Joseph Aoun asked parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, to represent him at the ceremony, while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam was to be represented by a minister.Hezbollah’s weakening in the war was widely seen as having contributed to the election of Aoun, who named Salam as his premier last month after two years of leadership vacuum.Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were in attendance, with representatives of Iraq’s main pro-Iran factions also expected to come.Araghchi, in a speech from Beirut, described the slain leaders as “two heroes of the resistance” and vowed that “the path of resistance will continue”.Sam Heller of the Century Foundation think-tank said it was “important for the group to demonstrate that it remains a major social and political force, despite some of the setbacks it’s been dealt”.Since Saturday, roads into Beirut have been clogged with carloads of supporters travelling in from Hezbollah’s other power centres in south and east Lebanon.Khouloud Hamieh, 36, came from the east to mourn the leader that she said was “dearest to our souls”.Despite the cold weather and massive crowds, she said she would not have missed the funeral for anything.- ‘Dearest to our souls’ -A funeral procession will take place to the site near the airport highway where Nasrallah will be buried. Safieddine will be interred in his southern hometown of Deir Qanun al-Nahr on Monday.Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television said the movement deployed 25,000 members for crowd control. A security source said 4,000 troops and security personnel were on duty.Civil aviation authorities said Beirut airport would close exceptionally for four hours.A founding member of Hezbollah in 1982, Nasrallah won renown around the Arab world in May 2000 when Israel ended its 22-year occupation of south Lebanon under relentless attack by the group under his leadership.In the decades since, Lebanese have been divided over Hezbollah, with many criticising the group for initiating hostilities with Israel in support of Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Israel on Sunday said troops would stay in West Bank refugee camps for the coming year, announcing expanded military operations including tank deployments, after the displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians.The military one month ago began a major raid against Palestinian militants in the West Bank just after a truce began in the Gaza Strip, another Palestinian territory.The Israeli operation in the West Bank spans multiple refugee camps near the cities of Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas.”So far, 40,000 Palestinians have evacuated from the refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams, which are now empty of residents,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. “I have instructed (troops) to prepare for a prolonged presence in the cleared camps for the coming year and to prevent the return of residents and the resurgence of terrorism,” he added.According to the United Nations, the Israeli offensive has so far killed at least 51 Palestinians, including seven children, and three Israeli soldiers, as well as displacing at least 40,000 people.On Sunday, Israel’s military said “a tank division will operate in Jenin” as part of “expanding” operations in the area. This is the first time tanks have operated in the territory since the end of the second intifada, or uprising, in 2005.”The Nahal (infantry) Brigade and (elite) Duvdevan Unit forces have begun to intervene in other villages” in the north of the territory, Katz’s statement said, adding that the forces “are continuing their operations in the Jenin and Tulkarem regions.”The statement comes two days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a rare visit to troops in the territory, ordered the army to step up its operations in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967.His visit to Tulkarem refugee camp drew Palestinian condemnation.- ‘Flattening entire streets’ -Netanyahu’s announcement came after bombs that Israeli officials said resembled those used by militants in the West Bank exploded on multiple empty buses in central Israel on Thursday, without causing any injuries.”We are entering terrorist strongholds, flattening entire streets that terrorists use, and their homes. We are eliminating terrorists, commanders,” Netanyahu said.In both Tulkarem and Jenin, the army has demolished dozens of homes with explosives, opening up new access routes into the densely built camps.Armoured bulldozers have wreaked havoc, upturning tarmac, cutting water pipes and tearing down roadside facades.Violence in the West Bank has surged since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023.Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 900 Palestinians, including many militants, in the territory since the start of the Gaza war, according to the Palestinian health ministry.At least 32 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the territory over the same period, according to Israeli official figures.

Tens of thousands of mourners dressed in black, some waving Hezbollah flags or carrying portraits of the group’s slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, flocked to his funeral Sunday in a stadium on the outskirts of Beirut.The killing of the charismatic leader, who guided the Lebanese movement for more than three decades, dealt a heavy blow to the Iran-backed group’s reputation as a fighting force.But Hezbollah, which also played a major role in the country’s politics for decades, has long had a support base in the country’s majority Shiite Muslim community by providing social and economic services.Many men, women and children from Lebanon and beyond walked on foot in the biting cold to reach the site of the ceremony, delayed for security reasons after Nasrallah’s death in a massive Israeli strike on Hezbollah’s south Beirut bastion in September.One of them was Umm Mahdi, 55, who had come “to see him (Nasrallah) one last time and see his shrine… Of course, we feel sadness”.”This is the least we can do for Sayyed who gave up everything,” she added, using an honorific.As the crowds gathered, Lebanese state media reported Israeli strikes on areas in Lebanon’s south, including a location about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the border.Israel’s military said it had struck in southern Lebanon “several rocket launchers that posed an imminent threat to Israeli civilians”.Israel has carried out multiple strikes in Lebanon since a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah went into effect on November 27.Giant portraits of the bushy-bearded Nasrallah and of Hashem Safieddine — Nasrallah’s chosen successor killed in another Israeli air strike before he could assume the post — have been plastered on walls and bridges across south Beirut.One was also hung above a stage erected on the pitch of the packed Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium on the outskirts of the capital where the funeral for both leaders is to be held.The stadium has a capacity of around 50,000 but Hezbollah organisers have installed tens of thousands of extra seats on the pitch and outside, where mourners will be able to follow the ceremony on a giant screen.Hezbollah has invited top Lebanese officials to the ceremony, with Iranian speaker of parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in attendance.Araghchi, in a speech from Beirut, described the slain leaders as “two heroes of the resistance” and vowed that “the path of resistance will continue”.- ‘Dearest to our souls’ -Since Saturday, roads into Beirut have been clogged with carloads of Hezbollah supporters travelling in from the movement’s other power centres in south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, in Lebanon’s east.Khouloud Hamieh, 36, said she came from the east to mourn the leader she said was “dearest to our souls”.”The feeling is indescribable, my heart is beating (so fast),” she said, her eyes filled with tears.Despite cold weather and large crowds, she said she would not have missed the funeral for anything.”Even if we had to crawl to get here, we would still come” she said.The funeral is due to start at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT).A procession will then follow to the site near the airport highway where Nasrallah will be buried. Safieddine will be interred in his southern hometown of Deir Qanun al-Nahr on Monday.Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television said the movement was deploying 25,000 members for crowd control. A security source said 4,000 troops and security personnel would also be deployed to the area.Representatives of Iraq’s main pro-Iran factions are also expected to attend and additional flights were laid on between Baghdad and Beirut.Civil aviation authorities said Beirut airport will close exceptionally from midday until 4:00 pm.Hezbollah has asked mourners to refrain from firing in the air, a dangerous but common practice at funerals in parts of Lebanon.The defence ministry said it would freeze gun licences from February 22 to 25.A founding member of Hezbollah in 1982, Nasrallah won renown around the Arab world in May 2000 when Israel ended its 22-year occupation of south Lebanon under relentless attack by the group under his leadership.In the decades since, views about Hezbollah in Lebanon have become increasingly polarised.Many criticise the movement for its readiness to take the country to war with Israel in support of Palestinian militant group Hamas.The war and almost a year of conflict that preceded it killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon, according the health ministry. The United Nations says reconstruction costs are expected to top $10 billion.