The Son of Nasrallah: My Father Was Angry Due to the 'Pager' Explosion... and Upset with His Party Leaders

SadaNews - Jawad Nasrallah, the son of former Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, told Reuters that the explosion of Israeli wireless communication devices (pagers) used by members of the group across Lebanon ignited his father's anger, and he was "significantly upset with some people," referring to officials in Hezbollah.

Jawad Nasrallah's remarks came on the eve of Hezbollah's commemoration of the anniversary of his father's assassination in Beirut, in a ceremony attended by Ali Larijani, the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. During the visit, he is also set to hold meetings with senior Lebanese officials to discuss bilateral relations and regional and international developments of mutual interest, according to the Iranian embassy in Lebanon.

The explosion of the pagers and the killing of Nasrallah in an Israeli air attack in September 2024 sparked a wider offensive, resulting in the deaths of more than 4,000 people across Lebanon and destroying vast areas of the south. The war shook Hezbollah's grip on power in Lebanon, as the group is now under pressure to relinquish its weapons. Israel stated that it waged the war to end Hezbollah's cross-border attacks in support of its ally, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas" in Gaza.

Nasrallah's Frustration

At Nasrallah's shrine, located on the outskirts of the southern suburb of Beirut, Jawad, along with family and supporters of the group, prepares to hold the memorial ceremony, recalling with grief and pain the last days his father lived.

Jawad told Reuters: "In my personal belief, if (Nasrallah) had lost one of his children in exchange for the safety of everyone affected (by the pager explosion), it would have been easier for his heart." He added: "He was sad and angry and upset; there was considerable frustration with some regarding what happened, as he sees himself as entrusted with this blood." Security measures were tight around Nasrallah at that time. Jawad, like more than a million Lebanese, had been displaced due to the Israeli air raids and had not seen his father for three months. He stated that his father's movement was "difficult and dictated by the security situation. We could say every day is a day of its own. Nothing is stable."

The News of Nasrallah's Assassination

The last televised speech given by Nasrallah was on September 19, following the pager explosion incident. Eight days later, a series of Israeli bunker-buster bombs on a Hezbollah complex in the southern suburb of Beirut led to Nasrallah's death, who had led the powerful Shiite religious, political, and military group for over 30 years. Jawad says the Nasrallah family received news of the assassination via television, "from the news bulletin like everyone else."

Displacement to a Safe Place

Jawad notes that the last meeting he had with his father was about three months prior, speaking about the difficulties of Nasrallah's movement, especially with Hezbollah's involvement in supporting Hamas after the attack on October 7, 2023. Jawad said: "We felt a moment of alienation just like everyone else, in addition to the desolation of time," pointing out that war, bombardment, brutality, and alienation created those feelings.

Jawad dismissed the idea of disarming Hezbollah, a demand made by the Lebanese government and the group's opponents. He said: "Not in your dreams… there is land to govern, a people and a threat; there is a reality created in 1948 adjacent to you," referring to the declaration of the establishment of Israel.