Shock and grief as Beirut’s displaced receive news of Nasrallah’s death
An atmosphere of shock and extreme grief hit central Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square on Saturday, as those who fled Israel’s relentless bombing of the capital's southern suburbs, commonly known as Dahiyeh, learned of Hezbollah leader Sayed Hassan Nasrallah’s death.
As the news spread, a man started screaming at the top of his lungs and stomping the ground in Martyr's Square, while, a few metres awa, a woman can be heard wailing and crying in front of the Mohammed al-Amin Mosque.
“It was too early, Abu Hadi,” she shouted, using Nasrallah’s nickname, in reference to his eldest son who was also killed by Israel in 1997.
“Can you hear me? Oh Sayed, head of the ummah and its honour.”
“Sayed was not killed, Sayed will remain with us,” she added.
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Hezbollah announced the death of its leader in the afternoon, a day after Israel said they had killed him and many other commanders from the Lebanese group in a wave of powerful air strikes on Dahiyeh on Friday evening.
The massive attack flattened six residential buildings and was followed by Israeli orders for residents to leave areas surrounding Dahiyeh and nearby regions, warning that they will strike them soon.
“We went through so many wars, nothing was like the strike that hit us yesterday,” said Rabia, a woman who initially escaped South Lebanon only to find herself displaced again.
Rabia is among the scores of people who were forcibly displaced from Dahiyeh on Friday night and sought shelter in the open air in downtown Beirut and by the corniche. They remain stranded while they figure out where to go.
The report of Nasrallah’s death shook the entire area near Martyr's Square. People who were already grieving their homes and loved ones following the strikes the night before were overtaken by deeper sorrow and anger.
Many people broke down in tears in the street as they struggled to grasp the magnitude of the news they had just received.
“The news is unbelievable,” said Walid Mohammad, who also escaped Dahiyeh. “Our hearts are burning. There is a lump in our hearts.”
“I hope it’s a joke, fake news, because this man cannot be replaced,” he added. “No way. May God avenge his death.”
'Where are they now?'
Some supporters started questioning Hezbollah’s decision to start clashing with Israel on 8 October, which the group did in support of Hamas in Gaza.
'The news is unbelievable. Our hearts are burning'
- Walid Mohammad, displaced Lebanese
“Why did he enter this war?” said Rabia. “Did we alleviate anything from Gaza? We did not. And now, Sayed is gone, who will make up for him now?”
“No one can take his place, not a single person can take his place.”
Rabia also criticised the Iran-led Axis of Resistance, saying that while Yemen’s Houthis supported Hezbollah, Syria and Iran did not.
“When Hezbollah got involved, nobody supported it,” she said. “When we said we were entering a war with Israel, [the Axis] said they would support us, no one supported us. Where are they?”
Nasrallah’s death comes as the Lebanese health ministry announced that at least 1,640 people have been killed in Israel’s attacks on Lebanon since 8 October. The figure includes 1,030 people who were killed since 16 September.
The ministry said that many people remain trapped under the rubble, with bodies still being recovered.
Israel has continued bombing Dahiyeh and other areas of Lebanon, including the south, since the announcement of Nasrallah’s death.
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