• A grand funeral procession for Hezbollah’s Chief of Staff, Haytham Ali Tabatabai, is slated from Beirut’s southern suburb, Dahiyeh’s Ghobeiry area, to the Islamic Martyrs’ Cemetery on November 24.
• The procession is scheduled to start at 14:00 (local time), followed by funeral ceremonies.

Hezbollah’s Chief of Staff Tabatabai was killed in Israeli airstrikes in Beirut’s Dahiyeh region on November 23, following a recent uptick in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah’s rearmament efforts. FORECAST: The slated funeral procession is likely to be well-attended and garner a turnout in the hundreds, given the seniority of Tabatabai’s position. Under these circumstances, a bolstered security presence is likely in the vicinity of the gathering. Additionally, armed Hezbollah operatives and senior Hezbollah military and political figures are likely to be present for the funeral. While the funeral itself is likely to transpire peacefully, anti-Israel and anti-US sentiment will remain elevated, and will likely be accompanied by sloganeering. Ceremonial gunfire into the air may also be reported during the funeral ceremonies. Road closures and traffic diversions are likely along the procession route, which is liable to cause traffic disruptions in the area.

1. Those operating or residing in Beirut during the afternoon hours of November 24 are advised to avoid nonessential travel to the vicinity of Beirut’s Dahiyeh area due to the slated funeral procession and associated risks of unrest.
2. US, and Western nationals in general, operating or residing in the city, are advised to maintain a low profile due to prevailing negative sentiment toward the West by Hezbollah’s support base.