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Hezbollah put on a show of strength <\/strong>on Sunday with an elaborate and sprawling funeral for its assassinated leader, Hassan Nasrallah, an event the Iran-backed militant group hopes <\/strong>will revive its battered image<\/a> in Lebanon <\/strong>after the latest war with Israel.<\/p>\n Tens of thousands of people from across the country and region flocked to the capital, Beirut, for the service, which was held at Lebanon\u2019s largest sports stadium on the outskirts of the city. Thousands packed into the arena, while others spilled out onto the streets outside, many carrying pictures of Mr. Nasrallah and waving large Hezbollah flags.<\/p>\n When a truck carrying Mr. Nasrallah\u2019s coffin entered the stadium, the crowd erupted in shrieks and cries as the voice of the former Hezbollah leader \u2014 clipped from his speeches and prayers \u2014 echoed from speakers overhead. Some people tossed scarves and flowers toward the vehicle, wiping away tears. Others chanted: \u201cWe renew the oath, Nasrallah!\u201d<\/p>\n The \u201cmassive crowd in Lebanon is an expression of loyalty to the resistance,\u201d Hezbollah\u2019s current leader, Naim Qassem, said in a video speech that was played in the stadium.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThe resistance endures and remains present, regardless of what you may think,\u201d he added. \u201cDo not mistake our patience for weakness.\u201d<\/p>\n The funeral comes five months after Israel killed Mr. Nasrallah on Sept. 27<\/a>, dropping 80 bombs over several minutes on his bunker just south of Beirut. In killing Mr. Nasrallah, Israel eliminated a leader who enjoyed near-mythical status among Lebanon\u2019s Shiite Muslims and led their resistance against the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon. His death was one of the seminal moments in the confrontation between Iran\u2019s proxies and Israel, from which Hezbollah has emerged significantly weakened.<\/p>\n In the months that followed, the group was battered by Israeli forces and its iron grip on Lebanon\u2019s politics came undone<\/a>, with many Lebanese blaming the group for dragging the country into one of its deadliest and most destructive wars.<\/p>\n Hezbollah and Israel agreed to a cease-fire in November that forced Hezbollah to withdraw from southern Lebanon and abandon its strongholds along the border with Israel. While Israel agreed to withdraw from Lebanon as part of that truce, Israeli forces have remained in parts of southern Lebanon<\/a> past the deadline to do so.<\/p>\n Now, Lebanon is at an inflection point.<\/p>\n After decades of consolidating power, Hezbollah entered the war as the country\u2019s most dominant political and military force. But it has become a shadow of its former self.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n