Nasrallah’s death mourned by Lebanese Christian leaders: “Legend is born”

Prominent Christian political leaders in Lebanon released statements on Saturday eulogizing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah after he was confirmed killed in an Israeli attack.

Speculation that Nasrallah had been killed began swirling shortly after Israel carried out a massive strike on Friday, which leveled multiple buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Hezbollah, a group allied with the Palestinian militant group Hamas and backed by Iran, confirmed the death on Saturday.

Considered by some as the most charismatic leader in a network of proxies that projected Iran’s power across the Middle East, Nasrallah rarely appeared in public but cultivated a cult-like following with his televised speeches. Israel and the United States have designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

While Hezbollah is a Shi’ite Muslim political and militant group in Lebanon, some of the Middle Eastern nation’s Christian leaders are allied with the movement.

Sleiman Frangieh, leader of Lebanon’s Christian political party Marada and Hezbollah’s preferred candidate for the presidency, posted a brief statement on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday.

“The symbol is gone, the legend is born, and the resistance continues,” he wrote.

Former Lebanese President Michel Aoun, a Christian and founder of the Free Patriotic Movement party which is allied with Hezbollah, posted a lengthier statement praising Nasrallah as a martyr for the country.

“With the martyrdom of His Eminence the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Lebanon loses a distinguished and honest leader who led the national resistance on the paths of victory and liberation. He was faithful to his promise and loyal to his people who reciprocated his love, trust and commitment,” he wrote on X.

The former Lebanese president described Nasrallah as “an honorable friend.” He also warned against the “dangers” Lebanon is “witnessing as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression,” calling for national unity.

“May God grant the great martyr a spacious place in heaven, and condolences to his family, the resistance, all his loved ones, and all of Lebanon,” Aoun wrote.

Under Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing government system, the president must always be a Maronite Christian. Aoun was the nation’s most recent president, with his term ending nearly two years ago in October 2022. His successor should be chosen by Lebanon’s parliament, but political deadlock has left the country without a head of state.

Lebanon has a relatively large number of Christians, with a 2019 State Department report estimating them to make up north of 32 percent of the country’s population. Historically, Lebanon was more evenly split between Christian and Muslim sects, with Christians long having held significant political and economic power.

Firas Maksad, a senior director for strategic outreach at the Middle East Institute, told Newsweek that Nasrallah’s death “leaves a big void and raises serious questions about the future role of the [Shi’ite] community within Lebanon’s archaic sectarian system.”

Despite representing the Shi’ite community in a country riven by sectarian feuds, Nasrallah became a revered figure nationally when Israel ended its 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon in 2000. Hezbollah also built a strong political presence in Lebanon with a powerful faction in parliament.

“Short-term, the Lebanese army and the country’s veteran communal leaders will have a key role to play in stabilizing the system and the situation on the ground,” Maskad said.

There have been tit-for-tat attacks between Hezbollah and Israel following the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas into southern Israel that preceded the bombardment of Gaza.

Nasrallah spent his last days increasingly isolated as Israel disrupted the militant group’s communications and wiped out a generation of its most experienced commanders. He held the same position on Israel as Iran and refused any conciliation with the country.

“Israel’s relentless campaign of the last ten dates has virtually decimated Hezbollah’s leadership, hampered its ability to communicate, and raised questions whether the group is to maintain command and control in a major war with Israel,” Maskad said. “Hezbollah is clearly reeling from the significant blows it has suffered, perhaps encouraging Netanyahu to risk further escalation.”

Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging heavy fire ever since electronic device attacks on Hezbollah last week killed dozens and injured thousands more. Israel is widely thought to have launched last week’s attack, but it has not taken responsibility for it.

“We settled the score with the one responsible for the murder of countless Israelis and many citizens of other countries, including hundreds of Americans and dozens of French,” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday in a statement on Nasrallah’s killing.

Newsweek has reached out the Lebanese government, Iran and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.

Update, 9/28/2024 at 3:18 p.m. ET: Netanyahu’s statement was added.