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Documentary photo essay · Lebanon · 2024–2025

Lebanon at War: The Funeral of Hassan Nasrallah

From destroyed neighborhoods in Beirut and the south to the mass funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, photographs of civilian loss, political allegiance and daily life during the 2024–2025 conflict.

Three uniformed musicians cover their faces at Hassan Nasrallah's funeral in Beirut.
Three uniformed musicians cover their faces during the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Lebanon, February 23, 2025.Photograph by Laurin Strele
Beirut & southern Lebanon
2024–2025

Made in Beirut and southern Lebanon across 2024 and 2025, this essay begins in neighborhoods broken open by bombardment. Apartment blocks stand hollow, vehicles lie burned, and residents move through streets whose landmarks have become piles of concrete. The photographs register destruction through the people who return to it, sit within it and continue to live beside it.

The sequence then enters the February 2025 mass funeral of Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, both killed in Israeli airstrikes. Uniformed men, party flags, portraits and immense crowds turn mourning into a public declaration of loyalty and defiance. Together, the images hold the civilian cost of war beside the political structures through which loss is named and mobilized.

People and vehicles pass beside the remains of destroyed buildings in Lebanon.
A road cuts through the remains of a destroyed neighbourhood in Lebanon, 2024.
A man sits beside food amid the ruins of a residential building in Lebanon.
A man sits beside a small table set with food amid the ruins of a residential building in Lebanon, 2024.
A man pushes a wheelbarrow through a destroyed apartment block in southern Lebanon.
A man pushes a wheelbarrow through the remains of an apartment block in southern Lebanon, 2024.
A man lies inside an exposed room in a damaged apartment building.
A man lies inside the exposed room of a damaged apartment building in Lebanon, 2024.
A burned-out bus among collapsed buildings in Lebanon.
The burned-out shell of a bus lies among collapsed buildings in Lebanon, 2024.
A woman in black looks across destroyed homes in southern Lebanon.
A woman looks across the ruins of damaged homes in southern Lebanon, 2024.
Portrait of a man amid building rubble in southern Lebanon.
A man faces the camera amid the rubble of destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon, 2024.
A man in a wheelchair beside damaged apartment blocks in Beirut's southern suburbs.
A man in a wheelchair sits beside damaged apartment blocks in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, 2024.
A bandaged child holds a stethoscope in a Lebanese hospital.
A child with bandages on her head and arm holds a stethoscope in a hospital in Lebanon, 2024.
People beside a burned vehicle bearing a Hezbollah flag in Lebanon.
People gather around a burned vehicle bearing a Hezbollah flag in Lebanon, 2024.
A man inside a damaged building beside a portrait of Hassan Nasrallah.
A man looks through an opening in a damaged building beside a portrait of Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, 2025.
People carrying Hezbollah flags through a damaged neighbourhood in Beirut.
People carry Hezbollah flags through a damaged neighbourhood in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, 2025.
People raise fists and wave Hezbollah flags at Hassan Nasrallah's funeral.
People raise fists and wave Hezbollah flags during the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Lebanon, February 23, 2025.
Masked men in camouflage pass through black drapes at Hassan Nasrallah's funeral.
Masked men in camouflage pass through an opening in black drapes during the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Lebanon, February 23, 2025.
Masked men in camouflage near the stage at Hassan Nasrallah's funeral.
Masked men in camouflage stand near the stage during the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Lebanon, February 23, 2025.
A uniformed musician looks toward the crowd at Hassan Nasrallah's funeral.
A uniformed musician looks toward the stands during the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Lebanon, February 23, 2025.
A uniformed musician with black markings across his face at Hassan Nasrallah's funeral.
A uniformed musician with black markings across his face looks into the camera during the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Lebanon, February 23, 2025.
A uniformed musician wipes his face at Hassan Nasrallah's funeral.
A uniformed musician wipes his face during the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Lebanon, February 23, 2025.
Expanded photograph