BEIRUT/TEHRAN, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of mourners gathered in Beirut on Sunday for the funeral of former Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, as Israeli warplanes conducted low-altitude flights over the Lebanese capital.
The ceremony at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium drew delegations from 70 countries, including Iran, Lebanese broadcaster al-Jadeed reported.
Israeli jets flew over the proceedings in what Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called a deliberate message.
"The Israeli Air Force jets currently flying over Beirut during Hassan Nasrallah's funeral are sending a clear message: Whoever threatens to destroy Israel and attacks Israel -- this will be their fate," Katz said in a statement.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, speaking via video screens, accused Israel of breaching the U.S. and French-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon that took effect on Nov. 27, 2024.
Israeli forces have maintained positions at five locations along the Lebanese border past the Feb. 18 withdrawal deadline, according to Hezbollah.
"We will carry on this resistance, no matter the sacrifices," Qassem told the crowd, which responded with chants against Israel and the United States.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei described Nasrallah and Safieddine as "great martyrs of the resistance" and warned that "resistance against usurpation, oppression, and arrogance will never end and will continue until the ultimate goal is reached."
Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli bombing against Dahieh, the southern suburb of Beirut on Sept. 27, 2024. Safieddine, Nasrallah's deputy and successor, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in October 2024 in Dahieh.
Nasrallah will be buried later on Sunday in Beirut, while Safieddine will be buried in his hometown in southern Lebanon.
Both had been temporarily buried in undisclosed locations. Hezbollah announced plans for their official funerals earlier this month. ■
