Hezbollah beams images of Nasrallah, Safieddine and Rafik and Saad Hariri on Raouche Rock

Hezbollah on Thursday beamed images of its slain leaders Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Sayyed Hashem Safieddine on Beirut's iconic Raouche Rock, defying Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and a number of Beirut MPs and anti-Hezbollah politicians.

Hezbollah also beamed the Lebanese flag and a picture of Nasrallah along with ex-PMs Rafik and Saad Hariri.

MTV had earlier reported that Speaker Nabih Berri was “dismayed by Hezbollah's decision to turn against yesterday's agreement over the illumination of the Raouche Rock.”

According to media reports, an agreement had been reached overnight following a phone call between Salam and Berri. The agreement had reportedly called for allowing Hezbollah to stage a ceremony at the site but not to illuminate the rock with any images.

“Hezbollah is still maintaining its stance on the illumination of the Raouche Rock with the images of Nasrallah and Safieddine and the notice submitted to the governor does not include any details about the activity or a pledge not to illuminate the rock,” LBCI television reported earlier on Thursday.

Al-Jadeed television had reported that Salam had contacted Berri and explained that the rock’s illumination could be considered “provocative to the capital’s sons” and that “it would be better to avoid it to prevent any tensions.”

“Berri was understanding and expressed full responsiveness to PM Salam’s proposal, which led to a settlement that respects Salam’s memo that prohibits the use of land and sea public properties and the archeological and touristic sites,” Al-Jadeed said.

It added that Hezbollah MPs Amin Sherri and Ibrahim al-Moussawi had visited Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar and that the two sides agreed that “an association close to Hezbollah would submit a permission request to Beirut’s governor in order to stage the event.”

The pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper reported Thursday that the meeting with Hajjar was “positive” and that he “expressed keenness on cooperation and avoiding any clash.”

“Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud has announced that the permissions needed to organize the event on the Raouche corniche have been issued, while stressing that traffic should not not be impeded and roads should not be closed,” al-Akhbar added.

“As for the reports that the organizers have pledged not to illuminate the rock, no pledges have been issued in this regard and the final decision belongs to Hezbollah,” the daily said.

Al-Jadeed reported Wednesday that“the ceremony would begin with the Lebanese national anthem and would involve speeches and mourning hymns, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

Salam had on Monday instructed “all public administrations and institutions, municipalities, their unions, and all relevant agencies” to be strict in “enforcing the laws governing the use of public land and sea properties, archaeological and touristic sites, official buildings, and landmarks that carry a unifying national symbolism.”

“I requested strictness in preventing their use before obtaining the necessary licenses and permits,” he added.

Hezbollah’s initial announcement had prompted several politicians and Beirut lawmakers to declare their rejection of the move.

MP Waddah al-Sadek said the move is “unacceptable on all levels.”

“They are not official figures and their pictures will be displayed in a city whose most residents reject their policies, not to mention that some accuse them of taking part in the murder of their leader (ex-PM Rafik Hariri),” Sadek added, noting that Hezbollah “has not obtained any permission from the municipality or the (Interior) Ministry” to carry out the activity.

“What’s worse is that their party, as usual, warns against being dragged into a civil war but wastes no chance to provoke Beirut’s residents. We must also not forget that the ‘glorious day’ is still carved in the memory of the Beirutis,” Sadek went on to say, referring to Nasrallah’s description of the May 7, 2008 day, when Hezbollah and its allies staged an armed takeover of parts of the capital.

“The government, which has shown its strength in its (latest) decisions (on arms monopolization), must prevent Hezbollah and others from making any provocative moves in order to preserve civil peace in the country,” Sadek added.

Beirut MPs Fouad Makhzoumi and Nabil Bader also wrote similar posts on the X platform.

On social media, Hezbollah supporters meanwhile reminded that the rock had been illuminated in the past with pictures of Saudi King Salman, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and the Saudi, French and Emirati flags.

Hezbollah’s historic and revered leader Nasrallah and his successor Safieddine were killed in huge Israeli airstrikes on their underground bunkers during last year’s Israeli war on the group.

The Raouche Rocks are iconic natural limestone formations off the coast of the Raouche area in Beirut. Named Pigeons' Rocks for the wild rock doves that historically nested in them, these two massive rock islets have been shaped by erosion and are a popular spot for tourists and locals to admire from the nearby corniche or through boat tours that navigate through the arch of the largest rock.