Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri greets his supporters after he paid his respects at the grave of his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, on the 20th anniversary of his assassination in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

BEIRUT (AP) — Thousands of supporters gathered in downtown Beirut on Friday to mark the 20th anniversary of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination, which comes amid seismic regional political shifts.

The ousting of Bashar Assad in December after 54 years of family rule in Syria marked the fall of a government long accused of orchestrating Hariri’s assassination and other political killings in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah — whose members were convicted by a U.N.-backed tribunal for their role in Hariri’s murder — now faces its own turning point following the assassination of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in an Israeli airstrike in September. Nasrallah’s funeral is set for February 23.

“This is the beginning of justice. If the justice of the earth did not serve us, no one escapes the justice of heaven," said Hariri’s son, former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, as he addressed a huge crowd in the capital Beirut.

"After 20 years, Rafik Hariri’s project is continuing, and those who tried to kill the project, look where they are now," Saad added.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, appointed in early February, visited Hariri’s burial site Friday.

“Today, we remember the legacy of the great martyr in serving Lebanon, preserving its national unity, and working for its prosperity,” Salam wrote on X. “He was greatly respected in the Arab world and the world, leaving Lebanon with a remarkable moral and political legacy.”

Lebanon’s president Joseph Aoun also paid tribute to Hariri, saying on X that Hariri's "national stances were a fundamental building block in strengthening national unity and protecting civil peace.”

Hariri was killed on Feb. 14, 2005, when a massive bomb exploded near the St. Georges Hotel, a historic landmark on Beirut’s waterfront. The blast killed 21 other people and injured over 200.

In 2020, a U.N.-backed tribunal convicted one member of the Hezbollah militant group and acquitted three others of involvement in the assassination. The Special Tribunal for Lebanon said Salim Ayyash was guilty as a co-conspirator of five charges linked to his involvement in the suicide truck bombing.

None of the suspects was ever arrested or attended court to hear the verdicts.

The assassination of Hariri ignited the “Cedar Revolution,” leading to massive protests against Syria’s nearly three-decade military presence in Lebanon, ultimately culminating in the withdrawal of Syrian troops in 2005. The assassination also intensified sectarian divisions within Lebanon and bolstered the political influence of Assad's ally, Hezbollah.

Hopes that Lebanon ‘would unite’

Buses from across Lebanon arrived early, bringing supporters to downtown Beirut to commemorate the anniversary. Thousands of people filled the streets and waved Lebanese flags and the blue flag of Hariri's Future Movement to songs honoring Hariri's memory.

“After the Syrian and Iranian guardianship ended and the ousting of the Syrian regime, the Lebanese state alone rules us,” Mohammad Kanaan told The Associated Press.

“In this square, you expelled Bashar Assad from Lebanon,” Saad said during his speech. “And after twenty years of sectarian rule, detention and brutality, the heroic Syrian people rose up and expelled the criminal from Syria.”

Another supporter, Ahmad Serhal, said he hoped that “Lebanon would unite” after the departure of Assad. “All the political shifts are for the good of this country. Lebanon is for all the Lebanese, we need to reach an agreement and unite.”

“God took revenge upon those who assassinated president Rafik — from ousting Assad, from ousting the system that is allied with Iran,” Ahmad Trab said. “We hope for a better future now with Syria.”

Israeli withdrawal deadline looms

The anniversary of Hariri’s death comes just four days before the deadline for Israeli troops to withdraw from southern Lebanon under a ceasefire agreement that ended a 14-month war with Hezbollah in late November. The ceasefire deal also stipulates that Hezbollah must end its military presence south of the Litani River, with the Lebanese Army and UN peacekeepers deploying in the vacated areas.

The pullout deadline, initially set for Jan. 26, was postponed to Feb. 18.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said Lebanon “absolutely rejects” an Israeli proposal to keep troops in five strategic border points after the withdrawal. “It is the responsibility of the Americans to impose (the withdrawal), otherwise they will have caused the biggest setback for the government,” he said.

Aoun has also insisted that Israel must adhere to the agreed-upon timeline. During his speech, Saad also emphasized the need for the Israeli army's withdrawal from Lebanon.

Saad addressed the people of southern and eastern Lebanon, regions largely supporters of and influenced by Hezbollah, urging them to seize Lebanon’s golden opportunity while dispelling any perception of being “a force of obstruction.”

Renewed Arab engagement

On Feb. 8, Lebanon formed a new government led by Salam, the first fully empowered administration since 2022. Salam, a former president of the International Court of Justice, was appointed following the election of Aoun in January. The 24-member cabinet includes a mix of technocrats and political figures, representing various sects, including Hezbollah’s allies.

Although Hezbollah did not formally endorse Salam’s appointment, the group negotiated during the government formation process.

The United States has expressed support for the new government, emphasizing the importance of stability and reforms, though opposing Hezbollah’s direct participation in the cabinet. Salam's government now faces Lebanon’s longstanding economic crisis and an urgent need to implement key financial reforms.

The political shift has reopened the door for renewed Arab engagement, particularly from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which had previously distanced themselves from Lebanon due to the growing influence of Iran and its ally, Hezbollah.

These countries, which had strong ties with Lebanon under Hariri, are now reassessing their approach, with hopes of reintegrating Lebanon into the Arab fold.

News from © The Associated Press, 2025