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Military-style funeral held for Australian 'Hezbollah fighter' killed by Israeli air strike in Leban

2023.12.29

A military-style funeral has been held for an Australian man claimed to be a fighter with militant group Hezbollah, a day after he, his brother and sister-in-law were killed in an Israeli air strike.

Key points:

· Hundreds attended the funeral in Lebanon and the brothers' caskets were draped in Hezbollah flags

· A Bazzi family spokesperson condemned the "attack on civilians"

· Acting Foreign Minister Mark Dreyfus has warned Australians not to travel to Lebanon

Brothers Ali and Ibrahim Bazzi, along with Ibrahim's wife Shorouk Hammoud, died when the explosion levelled a family-owned home in southern Lebanon on Tuesday.

Twenty-seven-year-old Australian citizen Ibrahim had travelled from Sydney to Lebanon last Friday to accompany Ms Hammoud, who had recently acquired an Australian visa, back home.

The couple, who were married three years ago, was killed when the explosion levelled the Bint Jbeil home they were staying in.

 

Ahmad Bazzi mourns over one of his sons' coffin during their funeral processions.(AP: Mohammed Zaatari)

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah claimed Ibrahim's 30-year-old brother Ali, also an Australian citizen, as one of their fighters.

The ABC has no evidence to suggest Ibrahim or his wife were affiliated with Hezbollah.

Hundreds attended the funeral in the town and their caskets were draped in Hezbollah flags and showed the faces of the Bazzi brothers and Ms Hammoud.

Memorial services for all three are planned for Thursday and Friday at Alzahara Mosque in Sydney.

The Israeli military said it had been striking Hezbollah targets based in Lebanon in response to what it says are rockets and missiles being fired into northern Israel by the militant group.

Tensions have been escalating between the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and the Israeli Defence Force along the Lebanese-Israeli border since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war.

 

Ibrahim and Ali Bazzi both died in air strikes.(Supplied)

Israeli chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on Wednesday Hezbollah was "trying to drag" Lebanon and the entire region into an "unnecessary" war, and the Israeli military is responding to attacks by targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.

Benny Gantz, a minister in Israel's war cabinet, also issued a warning over the ongoing fighting along the Lebanon-Israel border.

"If the world and the Lebanese government will not act to stop the firing on the northern settlements and keep Hezbollah away from the border — the IDF (Israeli Defence Force) will do so," he said.

Hezbollah-affiliated media outlet Al-Manar said in response to the attack in Bint Jbeil, fighters targeted Kiryat Shmona settlement in Israel on Wednesday with 30 rockets.

Government warning to not travel to Lebanon

Attorney-General and Acting Foreign Minister Mark Dreyfus said there had been warnings for Australians not to travel to Lebanon since October.

 

The couple married in Lebanon three years ago but were planning a new life in Sydney.(ABC News)

"Australians should not travel to Lebanon," he said.

"Australians in particular should avoid conflict zones … the Australian government urges any Australians who are still in Lebanon to leave while commercial options are still available."

He also expressed condolences to the family of Ibrahim Bazzi.

Mr Dreyfus said the Australian government had made representations to the Israeli government but would not disclose the nature of the message.

He also said Hezbollah was a listed terrorist organisation and that "it's an offence for any Australian to cooperate with, to support, let alone to fight with a listed terrorist organisation like Hezbollah".

Mr Dreyfus said past examples of links between Hezbollah and Australians is one of the reasons the group is listed as a terrorist organisation.

Family was waiting to welcome couple

 

Hezbollah fighters carry the coffins for the trio.(AP: Mohammed Zaatari)

Their families in Sydney say they were looking forward to greeting the young couple planning to start their new lives together in Australia.

Bazzi family spokesperson Hasssan Bazzi told the ABC he condemned "the attack on civilians" and that the family is very angry.

"Our fellows in Lebanon are standing under the attack of the Israeli's on daily basis. Lebanon, Palestine, Gaza strip, everyday the victims are children and innocent women and the whole world is not taking even any action," he said.

"Unfortunately our prime minister and our premier this is an Australian fellow, he got killed by Israel, your allies."

Bint Jbeil mayor Afif Bazzi said he was shocked by the attack.

"The surprise is they hit civilian neighbourhoods, people living their normally … we didn't leave Bint Jbeil. All the people of Bint Jbeil are still here," he said.

"We hear bombing, but it was far away, the city was still protected. But we were surprised that a civilian neighbourhood was hit … a groom coming to get his bride to Australia."