Hezbollah Marks First Anniversary of Hassan Nasrallah’s Assassination

Thousands of Hezbollah supporters gathered on Saturday to commemorate the first anniversary of the assassination of their longtime leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. The event, held at his mausoleum near Beirut airport, underscored both the group’s resilience and the challenges it faces following a devastating war with Israel last year.

A Symbolic Gathering

Supporters waved Hezbollah’s yellow banners alongside Lebanese, Palestinian, and Iranian flags as partisan chants and religious hymns echoed across the site. The commemoration was part of a series of memorial events organized by the group to honor Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on September 27, 2024.

Nasrallah, regarded as one of the most charismatic and influential figures in Middle Eastern politics, had led Hezbollah for decades. His death, coupled with Israel’s destruction of much of the group’s arsenal, dealt a major blow to Hezbollah’s political and military standing.

Hezbollah’s Waning Influence

In the aftermath of last year’s conflict, Hezbollah has seen its dominance in Lebanon weaken. Once considered more powerful than the state itself, the group is now under unprecedented pressure. The Lebanese government has instructed the army to begin disarming Hezbollah, a move that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

The United States has also increased its diplomatic pressure, while Israel continues to carry out strikes on Lebanese territory. For Hezbollah, the demand to relinquish its weapons is now at the center of a fierce internal debate that cuts to the heart of its identity.

Voices of Defiance

Many of those present at Saturday’s commemoration rejected the idea of disarmament outright. Wissam Hodroj, a 51-year-old who traveled from Iraq to attend, declared: “What has happened since the last war has only increased our enthusiasm and strength. We will not compromise on our weapons, and we will not hand them over.”

Ali Jaafar, a 21-year-old university student, echoed that sentiment, telling AFP: “Handing over the weapons is the dream of the enemies — internal and external — but it will remain just a dream.”

The ceremony was attended by Hezbollah’s new leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, and Iranian security chief Ali Larijani, further signaling the group’s continued alignment with Tehran despite mounting international isolation.