Hezbollah's Year After Nasrallah: Shifting Dynamics and Mounting Tensions

Hezbollah commemorated the first anniversary of leader Hassan Nasrallah's death by Israel. With pressure to disarm, Hezbollah's current leader, Naim Qassem, declared defiance. Tensions rose during the anniversary events, aggravated by Hezbollah's persistence in projecting political imagery despite official opposition.

On Saturday, Hezbollah, the influential Lebanese armed group, marked a year since its leader Hassan Nasrallah was fatally targeted by Israeli forces. The attack was a significant turning point, initiating a conflict that severely weakened the group's strong hold and devastated large parts of Lebanon.

Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli operation that involved bunker-busting bombs striking a Hezbollah compound in Beirut. His designated successor, Hashem Safieddine, also fell victim shortly thereafter, exacerbating internal and external pressures on Hezbollah to disarm – demands the group firmly rejects.

Current secretary general Naim Qassem, who succeeded Nasrallah, addressed supporters, underscoring that Hezbollah's armament would remain, characterizing the ongoing struggle as existential. The anniversary was marked by public gatherings, despite controversy arising from political projections on Beirut's coastal cliffs and defiance of governmental orders prohibiting such displays.

(With inputs from agencies.)