The funeral drew thousands into the streets of the Hezbollah-dominated neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday afternoon, where many mourners shook their fists and proudly waved the armed group's yellow flag. The procession capped a week defined by explosions and funerals in the neighborhood, Dahiya, a densely populated suburb south of central Beirut. Many residents there were also grappling with uncertainty over what would come next and the prospect of the conflict with Israel spiraling into an all-out war.
I have been to 15 funerals this week. We've been waiting for this moment, we've been waiting for this war. Like many other residents in the neighborhood, her tone was defiant - an echo of the image of strength that Hezbollah has sought to project in the wake of the attacks by Israel this week.
Hawra'a Hijazi, 49, said she nearly ran into the street to celebrate when news began to trickle in that Hezbollah had launched a barrage of rockets, missiles and drones into Israeli territory overnight. 'I couldn't sleep, I could sense the retaliation was coming,' she said.
During a speech by one Hezbollah leader who vowed retaliation, a sense of defiance coursed through the crowd. Dahiya's streets, usually bustling on a weekend, were eerily empty.
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