Hajjar vows to preserve security, facilitate traffic during Nasrallah funeral
Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar said Friday that the country’s security chiefs have reviewed the measures that will be taken on Sunday during the funeral of slain Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
“The main objective is to preserve the occasion’s security and the security of participants and non-participants, and to facilitate traffic,” Hajjar added.
His remarks followed a security meeting in Baabda under the chairmanship of President Joseph Aoun that saw the participation of the ministers of defense and interior, the acting army chief and the heads of security agencies.
Hezbollah is preparing for a massive turnout for Nasrallah’s funeral on Sunday, an opportunity for a show of strength by the group after a bruising war with Israel.
Nasrallah's death nearly five months ago in a huge Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs left Hezbollah supporters in disbelief and sent shockwaves across Lebanon and the region.
The country will stop for Sunday's funeral, to be held at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) at the Camille Chamoun sports stadium on the capital's outskirts.
Hezbollah has announced strict security measures and urged security forces to help manage crowds that are expected to number in the tens of thousands, with people pouring in from Hezbollah strongholds across the country, as well as from abroad.
Hezbollah has also invited senior Lebanese officials including the president.
Its key foreign backer Iran has said it will participate "at a high level", without specifying who will attend.
The ceremony is expected to last around an hour, including a speech by current leader Sheikh Naim Qassem, who has called for a huge turnout.
A procession will follow to Nasrallah's burial site near the airport road, now lined with yellow Hezbollah flags and images of him and other slain Hezbollah figures.
Civil aviation authorities said Beirut airport will close exceptionally and flights will be suspended from midday until 4:00 pm.
The U.S. embassy has urged Americans to avoid the area.
Hezbollah was battered by more than a year of hostilities with Israel that culminated in two months of full-blown war before a ceasefire took effect on November 27.
After Nasrallah was killed on September 27, the group delayed his funeral due to security concerns.
Iraqi Airways and Lebanon's Middle East Airlines have increased services between Baghdad and Beirut ahead of the funeral.
Representatives of Iraq's main pro-Iran factions are to participate, while several Iraqi lawmakers are expected to attend privately.
