Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah, who died in an Israeli airstrike on September 27, has been temporarily laid to rest in an undisclosed location, according to sources familiar with the situation, as reported by AFP.
“Hassan Nasrallah has been given a temporary burial until conditions permit a public funeral,” said one source.
The group has yet to announce official plans for Nasrallah’s funeral. Conflicting reports suggest that his final resting place could be in either Lebanon or Iraq. Abdul Amir Al Teiban, an adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, indicated on social media that Nasrallah could be interred in Karbala, Iraq, a site of deep religious significance for Shia Muslims.
A Lebanese government official revealed that Hezbollah has sought assurances from U.S. officials, via Lebanese intermediaries, to organize a large-scale funeral for their slain leader. However, ongoing Israeli military activity in Beirut's southern suburbs has prevented any such guarantees.
In the meantime, a symbolic funeral is expected to take place under the guidance of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who led a special prayer service in Tehran, his first in five years. Thousands of Iranians participated in the event, where images of Nasrallah were displayed alongside those of Khamenei.
Nasrallah, who had led Hezbollah for more than 30 years, was killed in a significant Israeli airstrike targeting Hezbollah's command center in Beirut. Reports suggest that the attack utilized around 80 tons of explosives to penetrate the heavily fortified bunker where Nasrallah and other senior Hezbollah figures were meeting.
The strike created an environment filled with toxic gases, which are believed to have caused Nasrallah’s death through asphyxiation. There were no visible external injuries on his body, indicating he likely succumbed to the toxic conditions inside the bunker.