The late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been temporarily interred in a concealed location, according to a source affiliated with the group, who revealed this on Friday. The decision was made due to concerns that Israel might exploit a large-scale funeral to launch an attack.
"Hassan Nasrallah has been temporarily buried, pending more favorable conditions for a public funeral," the source explained, following the Israeli strike that claimed the leader's life last week. The source further stated that a public funeral was deemed unfeasible "due to the threat of Israeli strikes on mourners and the burial site."
A Lebanese official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, disclosed that Hezbollah, through high-ranking Lebanese authorities, had attempted but failed to secure "guarantees" from the United States, a significant ally of Israel, that Israel would refrain from targeting a public funeral.
In the midst of escalating Israeli bombardments against Hezbollah, a substantial attack on its stronghold in south Beirut on September 27 resulted in the death of Nasrallah alongside an Iranian Revolutionary Guards general. Israel claimed to have eliminated approximately 20 members of the Iran-backed militant group.
A week after Nasrallah's death, a successor has yet to be named. His cousin, Hashem Safieddine, a prominent Hezbollah figure often mentioned as a potential successor, was reportedly the target of a recent Israeli airstrike in south Beirut, as reported by US and Israeli media. His current status remains uncertain.
