Israeli Warplanes Hover Over Stadium Hosting Hezbollah Commander’s Funeral | Watch

Israeli jets buzzed overhead as Hezbollah demonstrators converged on a funeral for the group’s leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called the overflight a “clear message” to Hezbollah. The jets, the same presumably used in Saturday’s airstrike that killed Nasrallah, flew in formation over Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, where tens of thousands attended Nasrallah’s funeral.

In an interview, Katz confirmed the Israeli Air Force flew over the Lebanese capital. “The Israeli Air Force planes currently circling in the skies of Beirut over Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral are sending a clear message: Whoever threatens to destroy Israel and attacks Israel—that will be his end,” he said. He added: “You will specialise in funerals—and we in victories.”

Tensions Rise as Jets Fly Over Crowds

A widely circulated video caught the moment when Hezbollah supporters marched Nasrallah’s body through crowded streets as Israeli jets flew overhead. The flyover elicited a mixed response—Hezbollah supporters decried it as a provocation, while Israeli officials presented it as a strong warning to Hezbollah’s leadership.

Nasrallah was assassinated last September in an Israeli air strike on Hezbollah’s hidden command center beneath Beirut’s southern suburbs. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the killing, with spokesman Nadav Shoshani tweeting on X, “Hassan Nasrallah is dead.” The IDF continued, “Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world.”

Continuous Conflict Between Israel and Hezbollah

The airstrike that killed Nasrallah was part of an intensifying conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, especially after the Israel-Hamas war broke out on October 7. Hezbollah, a US-listed terrorist organization since 1997, had mounted several attacks against Israeli military posts along the border, calling it a “backup front” for Gaza. Nasrallah consistently asserted that Hezbollah’s attacks deflected the Israeli military away from Hamas and promised to expand the attacks unless a ceasefire was established.

Nasrallah Legacy and Hezbollah’s Transformation

Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah had headed Hezbollah for over three decades, transforming the group into one of the strongest militant outfits in the Middle East. Born in 1960 into a poor Shiite family, he initially joined the Amal movement before co-founding Hezbollah in the 1980s. Under his leadership, the group formally announced its formation in 1985 with an “open letter” that named the US and the Soviet Union as Islam’s main enemies and called for the “obliteration” of Israel.

After his death, Israel increased operations to drive Hezbollah back from the border. The escalation has led to the deaths of numerous Hezbollah commanders, with dozens killed and thousands wounded.