Hezbollah holds mass funeral for about 40 fighters in southern Lebanon

Hezbollah organised a mass funeral on Saturday in the southern Lebanese village of Majdal Selm for roughly 40 fighters killed in recent clashes with Israel. A convoy of black vehicles carried coffins draped with the organisation’s yellow flags to the local cemetery. Women in black accompanied the procession, holding photographs of the deceased, many in military uniform, and some displayed images of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei. The announcement listed the names of 39 fighters, four civilians and one person who died of natural causes, noting that earlier burial had been impossible because of the fighting. The ceremony coincided with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s departure for the United States to meet President Donald Trump in an effort to reinforce a cease‑fire agreement with Israel. Despite the truce, Israeli forces continue to strike parts of southern Lebanon and maintain a military presence in the area.