Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah ‘temporarily buried’ at a secret location

The 64-year-old Nasrallah, who transformed the group into a potent paramilitary and political force in the region, was killed on September 27

Hezbollah leader Syyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut, has been “temporarily buried” in a secret location fearing Israel would target a large funeral, sources in the militant group told AFP on October 4.

The 64-year-old Nasrallah, who transformed the group into a potent paramilitary and political force in the region, was killed on September 27 after two weeks of precise Israeli strikes that destroyed weapons sites, eliminated half of Hezbollah's leadership and decimated its top military command.

"Hassan Nasrallah has been temporarily buried, until the circumstances allow for a public funeral," the source said.

Earlier, Reuters reported that Hezbollah was mulling the option of securing a religious decree to bury Nasrallah temporarily and hold an official funeral when the situation permits.

"No one can authorise a funeral in these circumstances,” the report cited a Hezbollah source as saying, lamenting the situation in which officials and religious leaders could properly honour the late leader.

The report also said that Hezbollah may not even name a new secretary general.

"Appointing a new Secretary General could be dangerous if Israel assassinates him right after," Ali-al Amin, the editor-in-chief for Janoubia, a news site, told Reuters. "The group can't risk more chaos by appointing someone only to see them killed."

Several commanders killed in the previous week were buried discreetly on September 30, with plans for a proper religious ceremony when the conflict ends.

Earlier in the day, an Israeli strike on Beirut targeted senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, widely expected to succeed Nasrallah, a report said.

There has been no statement from the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) or the Hezbollah on the strike.

Designated as a terrorist by the US State Department since 2017, Safieddine, who has not been seen in public since Nasrallah’s assassination, is the head of Hezbollah's executive council, which oversees the group's political affairs. He is also a member of the Jihad Council, which manages the outfit's military operations.